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A  N 


E       S       S  A 


O  N 


PAINTING 

IN'  TWO  EPISTLES 

T  O 

MR.       R    O    M   N   E  T. 


Zvyymixv  Tivct  rpos  TMpatip  tyjiv  v\  t^vvj  riptmerou,  nai  noivvi  rig  ap- 

QciV  ElVOU  (pilVTCtlTlCl, 

 k  teyeiv  ol  ttq^tai  z%xgi  txvtx  ev  tw  ypawictTi  wwivua*. 

Philostratus. 

Patet  omnibus  Ars,  nondum  eft  occupata,  multum  ex  ilia  etiam  fu- 
turis  reliftum  eft.  Senec.  Epift.  33. 


By  WILLIAM  H  A  Y  L  E  Y,  Esq, 


The  THIRD  EDITION,  Corrected  and  Enlarged. 


LONDON: 
PRINTED   FOR    J.    DODSLEY,   IN  PALL-MALL. 


M.DCC.LXXXI. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/essayonpaintingiOOhayl_0 


EPISTLE 

THE  FIRST. 


B 


ARGUMENT 


OF     THE     FIRST  EPISTLE. 

Introduction — The  flourijhing  ftate  of  Art  in  this  country — 
Dif advantages  attending  the  modern  Painter  of  Portraits 
— Short  encomium  on  this  branch  of  Art^  with  the  account  of 
its  origin  in  the  ftory  of  the  Maid  of  Corinth — Superiority 
of  Hiflorical  Painting — Some  account  of  the  Greeks  who 
excelled  in  it — Its  deftrutlion  and  revival  in  Italy — Short 
account  of  the  moft  eminent  Italian  and  Spanifh  Painters — 
Thofe  of  Flanders  and  France — The  corruption  of  Art 
among  the  latter. 


T  O 


T  O 


Mr.    GEORGE  ROMNEY. 

EPISTLE  I. 

13  LEST  be  the  hour,  when  fav'ring  gales  reftore 
-U  The  travell'd  artift  to  his  native  more  ! 
His  mind  enlighten'd,  and  his  fancy  fraught 
With  fineft  forms  by  ancient  genius  wrought ; 
Whofe  magic  beauty  charm'd,  with  fpell  fublime, 
The  fcythe  of  Ruin  from  the  hand  of  Time, 
And  mov'd  the  mighty  leveller  to  fpare 
Models  of  grace  fo  exquiritely  fair. 

While  you,  whom  Painting  thus  infpir'd  to  roam, 
Bring  thefe  rich  (lores  of  ripen'd  judgment  home  ;  i 
While  now,  attending  my  accomplifti'd  friend, 
Science  and  Tafte  his  foften'd  colours  blend ; 
Let  the  fond  Mufe,  tho'  with  a  tranfient  view, 
The  progrefs  of  her  fifter  art  purfue ; 

B  2  Eagc 


[    4  ] 

Eager  in  tracing  from  r^llfbfceft  time  15 
The  fteps  or  Painting  through  each  favour'd  clime, 
To  praife  her  deareft  fons,  whole  daring  aim 
Gain'd  their  bright  ftations  on  the  heights  of  fame. 
And  mark  the  paths  by  which  her  partial  hand 
Conducts  her  Romney  to  this  radiant  band.  20 
Painting,  fweet  Nymph  !  now  leaves  in  lifeLefs  trance 
Exhaufted  Italy,  and  tinfel  France, 
And  fees  in  Britain,  with  exulting  eyes, 
Her  vot'ries  profper,  arrd  her  glories  rife 
Yet  tho',  my  friend,  thy  art  is  thus  careft,.  25 
And  with  the  homage  of  the  public  bled, 
And  flourilhes  with  growing  beauty  fair, 
The  child  of  Majefty's  adoptive  care, 
The  youthful  artifl  ftill  is  doom'd  to  feel 
Obftruction's  chilling  hand,  that  damps  his  zeal :  30 
Th'  imperious  voice  of  Vanity  and  Pride 
Bids  him  from  Fancy's  region  turn  afide, 
And  quit  the  magic  of  her  fcene,  to  trace 
The  vacant  lines  of  fome  unmeaning  face  : 
E'en  in  this  work  his  willies  ftill  are  croft,  35 
And  all  the  efforts  of  his  art  are  loft  ; 

10  For 


* 


[    5  ] 

For  when  the  canvas,  with  the  mirror's  truth, 

Rerle&s  the  perfect  form  of  age  or  youth, 

The  fond  affections  of  the  partial  mind 

The  eye  of  judgment  with  delufion  blind  :  40 

Each  mother  bids  him  brighter  tints  employ,. 

And  give  new  fpirit  to  her  booby  boy  ; 

Nor  can  the  painter,  with  his  utmoft  art, 

Exprefs  the  image  in  the  lover's  heart  : 

Unconfcious  of  the  change  the  feafons  bring,  45 

Autumnal  beauty  afks  the  rofe  of  fpring, 

And  vain  felf-love,  in  every  age  the  fame, 

Will  fondly  urge  fome  vihonary  claim. 

The  lucklcfs  painter,  deftin'd  to  fubmit, 

Mourns  the  loft  likenefs  which  he  once  had  hit,  50 

And,  doom'd  to  groundlefs  cenfure,  bears  alone 

The  grievous  load  of  errors  not  his  own. 

Nor  is  it  Pride,  or  Folly's  vain  command, 
That  only  fetters  his  creative  hand  ; 

At  Fafliion's  nod  he  copies  as  they  pafs  55 
Each  quaint  reflection  from  her  crowded  glafs. 
The  formal  coat,  with  interfering  line, 
Mars  the  free  graces,  of  his  fair  dcfign  ^ 

The 


C  6  ] 

The  towering  cap  he  marks  with  like  diftrefs, 
And  all  the  motley  mafs  of  female  drefs. 
The  hoop  extended  with  enormous  fize, 
The  corks  that  like  a  promontory  rife ; 
The  flays  of  deadly  fteel,  in  whofe  embrace 
The  tyrant  Fafhion  tortures  injur'd  Grace. 
But  Art,  defpairing  over  fhapes  like  thefe 
To  cart  an  air  of  elegance  and  eafe, 
Invokes  kin3  Fancy's  aid — (he  comes  to  fprea 
Her  magic  fpells — -the  Gothic  forms  are  fled  ; 
And  fee,  to  crown  the  painter's  juft  defire, 
Her  free  pofitions,  and  her  light  attire  ! 
Th'  ambitious  artift  wifhes  to  purfue 
This  brilliant  plan  with  more  extenfive  view, 
And  with  adopted  character  to  give 
A  lafting  charm  to  make  the  portrait  live ; 
All  points  of  art  by  one  nice  effort  gain, 
Delight  the  learned,  and  content  the  vain  ; 
Make  hiftory  to  life  new  value  lend  *, 
And  in  the  compreheniive  picture  blend 
The  ancient  hero  with  the  living  friend. 

*  Ver.  77.    See  NOTE  I. 


[    7  ] 

Moft  fair  device  !  t£  but,  ah  !  what  foes  to  fenfe, 
What  broods  of  motley  monfters  rife  from  hence  !" 
The  ftrange  pretenfions  of  each  age  and  fex 
Thefe  plans  of  fancy  and  of  tafte  perplex  ; 
For  male  and  female,  to  themfelves  unknown, 
Demand  a  character  unlike  their  own, 
Till  oft  the  painter  to  this  quaint  diftrefs 

Prefers  the  awkward  fhapes  of  common  drefs. 
Sweet  girls,  of  mild  and  penfive  foftnefs,  choofe 
The  fportive  emblems  of  the  comic  Mufe ; 
And  fprightly  damfels  are  inclin'd  to  borrow 
The  garb  of  penitence,  and  tears  of  forrow  : 
While  awkward  pride,  tho'  fafe  from  war's  alarms,. 
Round  his  plump  body  buckles  ancient  arms, 
And,  from  an  honeft  jufh'ce  of  the  peace, 
Starts  up  at  once  a  demi-god  of  Greece  ; 
Too  firm  of  heart  by  ridicule  to  fall, 
The  finifh'd  hero  crowns  his  country  hall, 
Ordain'd  to  fill,  if  fire  his  glory  fpare, 
The  lumber- garret  of  his  wifer  heir. 


C    8  ] 

Not  lefs  abfurd  to  flatter  Nero's  eyes  * 
Arofe  the  portrait  of  coloflal  fize  : 
Twice  fifty  feet  th'  enormous  meet  was  fpread, 
To  lift  o'er  gazing  llaves  the  monger's  head, 
When  impious  Foily  fway'd  Opprefiion's  rod, 
And  fervile  Rome  ador'd  the  mimic  God. 

Think  not,  my  friend,  with  fupercilious  air, 
I  rank  the  portrait  as  beneath  thy  care. 
Bleft  be  the  pencil  !  which  from  death  can  fave 
The  femblance  of  the  virtuous,  wife,  and  brave 
That  youth  and  emulation  ftill  may  gaze, 
On  thofe  infpiring  forms  of  ancient  days, 
And,  from  the  force  of  bright  example  bold, 
Rival  their  worth,  "  and  be  what  they  behold. ,: 
Bleft  be  the  pencil  !  whofe  confoling  pow'r, 
Soothing  foft  Friendfhip  in  her  penfive  hour, 
Difpels  the  cloud,  with  melancholy  fraught, 
That  abfence  throws  upon  her  tender  thought. 
Bleft  be  the  pencil  !  whofe  enchantment  gives 
To  wounded  Love  the  food  on  which  he  lives. 

*  Ver.  100.    See   NOTE  It. 
t  Ver.  108.    Sec  NOTE  III. 


C    9  ] 

Rich  in  this  gift,  tho'  cruel  ocean  bear 
The  youth  to  exile  from  his  faithful  fair, 
He  in  fond  dreams  hangs  o'er  her  glowing  cheek 
Still  owns  her  prefent,  and  ftill  hears  her  fpeak 
Oh  !  Love,  it  was  thy  glory  to  impart 
Its  infant  being  to  this  magic  art  ! 
Infpir'd  by  thee,  the  foft  Corinthian  maid,  * 
Her  graceful  lover's  fleeping  form  portray'd  : 
Her  boding  heart  his  near  departure  knew, 
Yet  long'd  to  keep  his  image  in  her  view : 
Pleas'd  fhe  beheld  the  fteady  fhadow  fall, 
By  the  clear  lamp  upon  the  even  wall  : 
The  line  fhe  trac'd  with  fond  precifton  true, 
And,  drawing,  doated  on  the  form  fhe  drew  : 
Nor,  as  fhe  glow'd  with  no  forbidden  fire, 
Conceal'd  the  iimple  picture  from  her  lire, 
His  kindred  fancy,  ftill  to  nature  juft, 
Copied  her  line,  and  form'd  the  mimic  buft. 
Thus  from  thy  power,  infpiring  Lovs,  we  trace 
The  modell'd  image,  and  the  pencil'd  face  ! 

*  Ver.  126.    See  NOTE  IV< 


C  ">  ] 

We  pity  Genius,  when  by  intereft  led, 
His  toils  but  reach  the  femblance  of  a  head  ; 
Yet  are  thofe  cenfures  too  fevere  and  vain, 
That  fcorn  the  Portrait  as  the  Painter's  bane. 
Tho'  up  the  mountain  winds  the  arduous  road, 
That  leads  to  pure  Perfection's  bright  abode, 
In  humbler  walks  fome  tempting  laurels  grow, 
Some  flowers  are  gather'd  in  the  vale  below  : 
Youth  on  the  plain  collects  increafing  force, 
To  climb  the  fteep  in  his  meridian  courfe. 
While  Nature  fees  her  living  models  fhare 
The  riling  artift's  unremitting  care, 
She  on  his  mind  her  every  charm  imprints, 
Her  eafy  poftures,  and  her  perfect  tints, 
Till  his  quick  pencil,  in  maturer  hour, 
Becomes  her  rival  in  creative  power. 

Yet  in  thefe  paths  difdain  a  long  delay, 
While  eager  Genius  points  a  nobler  way  : 
For  fee  !  expanding  to  thy  raptur'd  gaze, 
The  epic  field  a  brighter  fcene  difplays  ! 
Here  ftands  the  temple,  where,  to  merit  true, 
Fame  gives  her  laurel  to  the  favoured  few  : 


C  »  3 

Whofe  minds,  illumin'd  with  coeleftial  fire, 

Direct  the  pencil,  or  awake  the  lyre  ; 

Who  trace  the  fprings  of  nature  to  their  fource, 

And  by  her  guidance,  with  refiftlefs  force,  165 

The  tides  of  terror  and  of  tranfport  roll, 

Thro'  every  channel  of  the  human  foul ! 

How  few,  my  friend,  tho'  millions  boafl  the  aim, 
Leave  in  this  temple  an  unclouded  name  ! 
Vain  the  attempt,  in  every  age  and  clime,  170 
Without  the  flow  conductors  toil  and  time ; 
Without  that  fecret,  foul-impelling  power, 
Infus'd  by  genius  in  the  natal  hour  ; 
And  vain  with  thefe,  if  bright  occasion's  ray 
Fail  to  illuminate  the  doubtful  way.  175 

The  elders  of  thy  art,  ordain'd  to  ftand 
In  the  flrft  circle  of  this  honour'd  band, 
(Whofe  pencil,  ftriving  for  the  nobleft  praife, 
The  heart  to  foften  and  the  mind  to  raife, 
Gave  life  and  manners  to  the  fmifh'd  piece)  180 
Thefe  fons  of  glory  were  the  fons  of  Greece  ! 
Hail !  throne  of  genius,  hail !  what  mighty  hand 
Form'd  the  bright  offspring  of  this  famous  land  ? 

C  2  Firft 


C     *2  ] 

Firft  in  the  annals  of  the  world  they  fhine  : 

Such  gifts,  O  Liberty,  are  only  thine;  185 

Thy  vital  fires  thro'  kindling  fpirits  run, 

Thou  foul  of  life,  thou  intellectual  fun;  -; 

Thy  rays  call  forth,  profufe  and  unconfin'd, 1 

The  richeft  produce  of  the  human  mind. 

Firft  taught  by  thee,  the  Grecian  pencil  wrought  190 

The  forceful  ieflbns  of  exalted  thought, 

And  generoufly  gave,  at  glory's  call, 

The  patriot  picture  to  the  public  hall. 

'Twas  then  Pan^us  drew,  with  freedom's  train,* 

The  chief  of  Marathon's  immortal  plain.  195 

In  glorious  triumph  o'er  the  mighty  hoft 

That  Perfia  pour'd  in  torrents  on  their  coaft. 
There  Polygnotus,  fcorning  fervile  hire,  -f* 

Difplay'd  the  embattled  fcene  from  Homer's  lyre. 

His  country  view'd  the  gift  with  fond  regard,  200 

And  rank'd  the  painter  with  their  nobleft  bard. 
Thy  tragic  pencil,  Aristides,  caught  J 

Each  varied  feeling,  and  each  tender  thought, 

*  Ver.  194.    See  NOTE  V. 
f  Ver.  198.    See  NOTE  VI, 
%  Ver.  zoz.    See  NOTE  VII. 

While 


I  13  3 

While  moral  virtue  fan&ified  thy  art, 

And  palTion  gave  it  empire  o'er  the  heart.  205 

Correct  Parrhaflus  firft  to  rich  deflgn  * 
Gave  nice  proportion,  and  the  melting  line, 
Whofe  foft  extremes  from  obfervation  fly, 
And  with  ideal  diftance  cheat  the  eye. 

The  gay,  the  warm,  licentious  Zeuxis  drew,  f  210 
Voluptuous  Beauty  in  her  richeft  hue  : 
Bade  in  one  form  her  fcatter'd  rays  unite, 
And  charm'd  the  view  with  their  collected  light. 

But  Grace  confign'd,  while  her  fair  works  he  plann'd, 
Her  foftefl  pencil  to  Apelles'  hand  :  215 
Yet  oft  to  gain  fubl  imer  heights  he  ftrove,  * 
Such  ftrong  expreflion  mark'd  his  mimic  Jove, 
Inimitably  great  he  feem'd  to  tower, 
And  pafs  the  limits  of  the  pencil's  power. 

Ye  fons  of  art,  tho'  on  the  gulpli  of  years,  zzo 
No  floating  relic  of  your  toil  appears, 
Yet  glory  (hews,  in  every  cultur'd  clime, 
Your  names  (till  radiant  thro'  the  clouds  of  time. 

*  Ver.  2c6.    See  NOTE  VIII. 
f.  Ver.  210.    See  NOTE  IX. 
X  Ver.  216.    See  NOTE  X, 

Thy 


[    '4  ] 

Thy  pride,  O  Rome,  inclin'd  thee  to  abhor 
Each  work  that  call'd  thee  from  thy  fphere  of  war  :  225 
By  Freedom  train'd,  and  favour'd  by  the  Nine, 
The  powers  of  eloquence  and  verfe  were  thine, 
While  chilling  damps  upon  the  pencil  hung,* 
Where  Tully  thunder'd,  and  where  Virgil  fung, 
Yet  Grecian  artifts  had  the  fplendid  fate,  230 
To  triumph  o'er  the  Romans'  fcornful  hate. 
Their  matchlefs  works  Profufion  toil'd  to  buy, 
Their  wonders  glitter'd  in  the  public  eye, 
Till  Rome's  terrific  pomp,  and  letter' d  pride, 
Were  funk  in  Defolation's  whelming  tide.  235 

Oh  !  lovely  Painting  !  long  thy  cheering  light 
Was  loft  and  buried  in  barbaric  night ; 
The  furious  rage  of  Anarchy  efTac'd 
Each  hallow'd  character  thy  hand  had  trac'd, 
And  Ign'rance,  mutt'ring  in  her  monkiffi  cell,  240 
Bound  thy  free  foul  in  her  lethargic  fpell. 

At  length  from  this  long  trance  thy  fpirit  rofe, 
In  that  fweet  vale  where  {ilver  Arno  flows ; 


•  Vcr.  228.    See  NOTE  XI. 
7 


There 


t  is  ] 

There  ftudious  Vinci  treafur'd  every  rule,* 

To  form  the  bafts  of  a  riftng  fchool  :  245 

Like  early  Hesiod,  'twas  his  fate  to  mine, 

The  herald  of  a  matter  more  divine. 

Inflam'd  by  Genius  with  fublimeft  rage, 
By  toil  unwearied,  and  unchill'd  by  age, 
In  the  fine  phrenzy  of  exalted  thought  250 
Gigantic  Angelo  his  wonders  wrought ;  f 
And  high,  by  native  ftrength  of  fpirit  rais'd, 
The  mighty  Homer  of  the  pencil  blaz'd. 

Tafte,  Fancy,  Judgment,  all  on  Raphael  fmil'd,  $ 
Of  Grandeur  and  of  Grace  the  darling  child  ;  255 
Truth,  paftlon,  character,  his  conftant  aim, 
Both  in  the  human*  and  the  heavenly  frame, 
Th'  enchanting  painter  rules  the  willing  heart, 
And  mines  the  finifh'd  Virgil  of  his  art. 

The  daring  Julio,  tho'  by  R  aphael  train'd,  §  260 
Reach'd  not  the  fummit,  where  his  mafter  reign'd  ; 

*  Ver.  244.  See  NOTE  XII. 

t  Ver.  251.  See  NOTE  XIII. 

t  Ver-  254.  See  NOTE  XIV. 

$  Ver.  260.  See  NOTE  XV. 


C  »6  3 

Yet  to  no  common  heights  of  epic  fame, 

True  Genius  guided  his  adventurous  aim. 

Thus  Statius,  fraught  with  emulous  regard, 

Caught  not  the  fpirit  of  the  Mantuan  bard  :  265 

Tho'  rival  ardour  his  ambition  fir'd, 

And  kindred  talents  his  bold  verfe  infpir'd. 

More  richly  warm,  the  glowing  Titian  knew* 
To  blend  with  Nature's  truth  the  living  hue  : 
O  !  had  fublime  defign  his  colours  crown'd  !  270 
Then  had  the  world  a  finifh'd  painter  found : 
With  powers  to  feize  the  higher!:  branch  of  art, 
He  fix'dHtoo  fondly  on  an  humbler  part; 
Yet  this  low  object  of  his  partial  care 
Grew  from  his  toil  fo  exquiGtely  fair,  275 
That  dazzled  judgment,  with  fufpended  voice, 
Fears  to  condemn  the  error  of  his  choice. 
Thus  pleafed  a  flowery  valley  to  explore 
Whence  never  Poet  cull'd  a  wreath  before,  f 
Lucretius  chofe  the  epic  crown  to  lofe  280 
For  the  bright  rhaplets  of  an  humbler  mufe. 

*  Ver.  268.    See  NOTE  XVI. 
f  Unde  prius  nulli  velarunt  Terpora  Mufse.   Lucretius,  Lib.  iv.  Ver.  5. 

Soft 


I  [    '7  3 

Soft  as  Catullus,  fweet  Corregio  play'd  * 
With  all  the  magic  charms  of  light  and  made. 
Tho'  Parma  claim  it  for  her  rival  fon,  f 
The  praife  of  fweeteft  grace  thy  pencil  won  : 
Unhappy  genius  !  tho*  of  fkill  divine, 
Unjuft  negledt,  and  penury  were  thine. 
Lamenting  o'er  thy  labours  unrepaid, 
Afflicted  Art  oppreft  with  wrongs  decayed, 
Till  with  pure  judgment  the  Caracci  came,  % 
And  railing  her  weak  powers  and  finking  frame, 
Reclaim'd  the  pencil  of  mifguided  youth, 
From  Affectation's  glare  to  tints  of  modeft  Truth. 
They  form'd  the  Pencil,  to  whofe  infant  fame 
Young  Zampieri  ow'd  his  nobler  name  :  § 
Profoundly  (kill'd  his  figures  to  difpofe, 
The  learned  Lanfranc  in  their  fchool  arofe,  || 
And,  trained  to  glory,  by  their  forming  care, 
The  tender  Guido  caught  his  graceful  air.  1[ 

*  Ver.  282.  See  NOTE  XVII. 

f  Ver.  284.  See  NOTE  XVIII. 

X  Ver.  290.  See  NOTE  XIX. 

§  Ver.  295.  See  NOTE  XX. 

||  Ver.  297.  See  NOTE  XXI. 

f  Ver.  299.  See  NOTE  XXII. 

D 


[    '8  ] 

Nor  mall  ye  fail  your  well-earn'd  praife  to  gain,  30s 
Ye  !  who  adorn'd  with  art  your  native  Spain  ! 
The  unfrequented  more,  that  gave  you  birth, 
Tempts  not  the  faithful  Mufe  to  hide  your  worth  : 
Juft  to  all  regions,  let  her  voice  proclaim 
Titian's  mute  fcholar,  rival  of  his  fame.  *  305 
The  power,  that  Nature  to  his  lips  denied, 
Indulgent  Art,  with  fonder  care,  fupplied  : 
The  cruel  bar  his  happy  genius  broke ; 
Tho'  dumb  the  painter,  all  his  pictures  fpoke. 

And  thou,  Velasquez,  fliare  the  honour  due  -f-  310 
To  forceful  tints,  that  fafcinate  the  view  ! 
Thy  bold  illurive  talents  foar'd  fo  high, 
They  mock'd,  with  mimic  life,  the  cheated  eye* 
Thou  liberal  artift !  'twas  thy  praife  to  guide 
Thy  happy  fcholar  with  parental  pride  y  315 
Thy  care  the  foft,  the  rich  Murillo  form'd,  J 
And  as  thy  precept  taught,  thy  friend/hip  warm'cL 


*  Ver.  305.  See  NOTE  XXIII. 
f  Ver.  310.  See  NOTE  XXIV. 
t  Ver.  316.    See  NOTE  XXV, 


[    '9  ] 

Yet  other  names,  and  not  a  fcanty  band  ! 

Have  added  luftre  to  th'  Iberian  land  ; 

But,  generous  Italy,  thy  genial  earth  320 

Superior  numbers  bore  of  fplendid  worth ! 

And  rais'd  amidft  them,  in  thy  golden  days, 

No  mean  hiftorian  to  record  their  praife.  * 

On  Thee,  whom  Art,  thy  patronefs  and  pride, 
Taught  both  the  pencil  and  the  pen  to  guide  ;  325 
Whofe  generous  zeal  and  modefr.  truth  have  known 
To  blazon  others'  Ikill,  not  boaft  thy  own  ; 
On  thee,  Vasari,  let  my  verfe  beftow 
That  juft  applaufe,  fo  freely  feen  to  flow 
From  thy  ingenuous  heart  and  liberal  hand,  330 
To  each  great  artift  of  thy  native  land  ! 
Tho'  many  fhine  in  thy  elaborate  page, 
And  more  have  rifen  fince  thy  diftant  age, 
Their  various  talents,  ana  the:;*  different  fame, 
The  Mufe,  unfkilful,  muit  decline  to  name,  335 
Leaft  in  the  nice  attempt  her  judgment  fail, 
To  poife  their  merits  in  Precision's  fcale. 


*  Ver.  323.    See  NOTE  XXVI. 

D  2 


E'en 


C  20  3 

E'en  public  Tafte,  by  no  determin'd  rule, 
Has  clafs'd  the  merit  of  each  nobler  fchool : 
To  Rome  and  Florence,  in  Expreflion  ftrong,  340 
The  higheft  honours  of  Defign  belong  ; 
On  her  pure  Style  fee  mild  Bologna  claim  * 
Her  faireft  right  to  fecondary  fame  ; 
Tho'  prouder  Venice  would  ufurp  that  praife, 
Upon  the  fplendid  force  of  Titian's  golden  rays.  f  34.5 
But  ill  they  know  the  value  of  their  art, 
Who,  flattering  the  eye,  neglect  the  heart* 
Tho'  matchlefs  tints  a  lafting  name  fecure, 
Tho'  ftrong  the  magic  of  the  clear- obfcure, 
Thefe  rauft  fubmit,  as  a  dependant  part,  350 
To  pure  Defign,  the  very  foul  of  Art ; 
Or  Fame,  mifguided,  muft  invert  her  courfe, 
And  Raphael's  Grace  muft  yield  to  Rembrandt's  Forced 
Fancy's  bold  thought  to  Labour's  patient  touch, 
And  Rome's  exalted  genius  to  the  Dutch.  355 

*  Ver.  342.    See  NOTE  XXVII. 
f  Ver.  345*    See  NOTE  XXVIII. 
t  Ver-  353-    See  NOTE  XXIX. 

Yet, 


.  I  f  a*  ] 

Yet,  Holland,  thy  unwearied  labours  raife  * 
A  perfect  title  to  peculiar  praife  : 
Thy  hum'rous  pencil  {huns  the  epic  field,. 
The  blazing  falchion,  and  the  {anguine  fhield  ; 
But  hap'ly  marks  the  group  of  rural  Mirth,  360 
In  focial  circle  round  the  chearful  hearth, 
And  ruftic  Joy,  from  bufy  cares  releas'd,, 
To  the  gay  gambols  of  the  village  feaft : 
While  Nature  finiles  her  very  faults  to  view, 
Trac'd  with  a  Hull  fo  exqjilitely  true..  365 
Thefe  faults,  O  Rembrandt,  'twas  thy  praife  to  hide  ! 
New  pow'rs  of  Art  thy  fertile  mind  fupplied  y 
With  dazzling  force  thy  gorgeous  colouring  glows, 
And  o'er  each  fcene  an  air  of  grandeur  throws  :. 
The  meaneft  Figures  dignity  afTume,  37a 
From  thy  contrafted  light,  and  magic  gloom. 
Thefe  ftrong  illufions  are  fupremely  thine, 
And  laugh  at  Imitation's  vague  defign .:. 
So  near  to  blemifhes  thy  beauties  run, 
Thofe  who  arTecl;  thy  fplendor  are  undone  :  375 

•  Ver.  356.    See  NOTE  XXX. 

While 


[      22  | 

While  thy  ram  rivals,  loofe  and  incorrect, 

Mifcall  their  fhadowy  want  of  truth  EffeB^ 

And  into  paths  of  affectation  ftart : 

Neglect  of  Nature  is  the  bane  of  Art. 

Proud  of  the  praife  by  Rubens' pencil  won,*  38 

Let  Flanders  boafl  her  bold  inventive  fon  ! 

Whofe  glowing  hues  magnificently  fhine 

With  warmth  congenial  to  his  rich  defign  : 

And  him,  her  fecond  pride,  whofe  milder  care, 

From  living  Beauty  caught  its  lovelieft  air  !  38 

Who  truth  of  character  with  grace  combin'd, 

And  in  the  fpeaking  feature  mark'd  the  mind, 

Her  foft  Vandyke,  while  graceful  portraits  pleafe,  f 

Shall  reign  the  model  of  unrivalFd  eafe. 

Painting  fhall  tell,  with  many  a  grateful  thought,  39 

From  Flanders  firft'the  fecret  pow'r  fhe  caught,  % 

To  grace  and  guard  the  offspring  of  her  toil, 

With  all  the  virtues  of  enduring  oil  ; 

*  Ver.  380.    See  NOTE  XXXI. 
fVer.  388.    See  NOTE  XXXII. 
%  Ver.  391.    See  x.'OTE  XXXIII. 

9  The 


C  23  ] 

Tho'  charmed  by  Italy's  alluring  views, 

(Where  furnptuous  Leo  courted  every  Mufe,  *  395 

And  lovely  Science  grew  the  public  care) 

She  fixt  the  glories  of  her  empire  there  ; 

There  in  her  zenith  foon  {he  ceas'd  to  mine,  "J 

And  dated,  palling  her  meridian  line,  P 

From  the  Caracci's  death  her  period  of  decline.       400  J 

Yet  in  her  gloomy  and  difgraceful  hour 

Of  faded  beauty,  and  enfeebled  power, 

With  talents  flowing  in  free  Nature's  courfe, 

With  juft  exertion  of  unborrow'd  force, 

Untrodden  paths  of  art  Salvator  tried,  f  405 

And  daring  Fancy  was  his  favourite  guide. 

O'er  his  wild  rocks,  at  her  command,  he  throws 

A  favage  grandeur,  and  fublime  repofe  ; 

Or  gives  th'  hiftoric  fcene  a  charm  as  ftrong 

As  the  terrific  gloom  of  Dante's  fong.  410 

His  bold  ideas,  unrefin'd  by  tafte, 

Exprefs'd  with  vigour,  tho'  conceiv'd  in  hafte, 


*  Ver.  395.  See  NOTE  XXXIV. 
t  Ver.  405.    See  NOTE  XXXV, 


C    H  ] 

Before  flow  judgment  their  defe&s  can  find, 
With  awful  pleafure  fill  the  pafllve  mind. 
Nor  could  one  art,  with  various  beauty  fraugh 
Engrofs  the  ardor  of  his  aclive  thought : 
His  pencil  paufing,  with  fatiric  fire 
He  ftruck  the  chords  of  the  congenial  lyre  ; 
By  generous  verfe  attempting  to  reclaim 
The  meaner  artift  from  each  abjeft  aim. 
But  vain  his  fatire  !  his  example  vain  ! 
Degraded  Painting  finks,  with  many  a  flam : 
Her  clouded  beams,  from  Italy  withdrawn, 
On  colder  France  with  tranfient  luftre  dawn. 
There,  in  the  arms  of  Roman  Science  nurs'd, 
In  every  work  of  ancient  genius  vers'd, 
The  fage  Poussin,  with  pureft  fancy  fraught/ 
Portray'd  the  clafilc  fcene,  as  Learning  taught 
But  Nature,  jealous  of  her  facred  right, 
And  piqu'd  that  his  idolatry  fhould  flight 
Her  glowing  graces,  and  her  living  air, 
To  worfhip  marble  with  a  fonder  care, 


*  Ver.  427.    See   NOTE  XXXVI. 


C  25  ] 

/ 

Denied  his  pencil,  in  its  mimic  ftrife, 

The  bloom  of  beauty,  and  the  warmth  of  life. 

Then  rofe  Le  Brun,  his  fcholar,  and  his  friend,  *  435 
More  juftly  fkuTd  the  vivid  tints  to  blend ; 
Tho'  with  exalted  fpirit  he  prefent 
The  generous  victor  in  the  fuppliant  tent, 
Too  oft  the  genius  of  his  gaudy  clime 
Mifled  his  pencil  from  the  pure  fublime.  440 

Thy  dawn,  Le  Sueur,  announc'd  a  happier  tafte,  f 
With  fancy  glowing,  and  with  judgment  chafte  : 
But  Art,  who  gloried  in  thy  rifing  bloom, 
Shed  fruitlefs  tears  upon  thy  early  tomb. 

Thefe  lights  withdrawn,  Confufion  and  Mifrule  445 
Seize  the  vain  pencil  of  the  Gallic  fchool  : 
Tho'  Fresnoy  teaches,  in  Horatian  fong,  $ 
The  laws  and  limits  that  to  Art  belong  ; 
In  vain  he  ftrives,  with  Attic  judgment  chafte, 
To  crufh  the  monfters  of  corrupted  tafte  :  450 


*  Ver.  435.  See  NOTE  XXXVII. 
t  Ver.  441.  See  NOTE  XXXVIII. 
t  Ver.  447.    See  NOTE  XXXIX. 

E  With 


[    26  ] 

With  ineffectual  fire  the  poet  fings, 

Prolific  ftill  the  wounded  Hydra  fprings : 

Gods  roll'd  on  gods  encumber  every  hall. 

And  faints,  convuliive,  o'er  the  chapel  fprawK 

Bombail  is  Grandeur,  Affectation  Grace,  4.55 

Beauty's  foft  fmile  is  turn'd  to  pert  grimace  ; 

Loaded  with  drefs,  fupremely  fine  advance 

Old  Homer's  heroes,  with  the  airs  of  France. 

Indignant  Art  difclaim'd  the  motley  crew, 

Refign'd  their  empire,  and  to  Britain  flew.  460 


END   OF  THE  FIRST  EPISTLE. 


EPISTLE 


P    I    S    T  L 

THE  SECOND. 


E  2 


ARGUMENT 


OF    THE    SECOND  EPISTLE. 

The  rife  of  Painting  in  England,  and  the  reafons  for  its 
happening  fo  late — The  rapidity  of  its  improvement — A 
flight  Jketch  of  the  moft  eminent  living  Artifts  in  England,. 
The  author  s  wijh  to  fee  his  friend  among  the  flrjl  of 
that  number — His  reafons  for  hoping  it.     The  reputa- 
tion of  a  Painter  in  fome  degree  owing  to  a  happy  choice  of 
fubjeSls — A  few  recommended from  national  events — and 
from  Milton  and  Shakefpeare  — ■  Conclufwn  —  Author  s 
wijhes  for  his  friend's  fuccefs.. 


EPISTLE 


EPISTLE  II. 


INGENUOUS  ROMNEY,  whom  thy  merits  raife 
To  the  pure  fummits  of  unclouded  praife  ; 
Whom  Art  has  chofen,  with  fuccefsful  hand, 
To  fpread  her  empire  o'er  this  honour'd  land  ; 
Thy  Progrefs  Friendfhip  with  delight  furveys,  5 
And  this  pure  Homage  to  thy  Goddefs  pays. 
Hail !  heavenly  Vifitant !  whofe  cheering  powers 
E'en  to  the  happy  give  ftill  happier  Hours  ! 
O  !  next  to  Freedom,  and  the  Mufe,  derign'd 
To  raife,  ennoble,  and  adorn  mankind  !  10 
At  length  we  view  thee  in  this  favor'd  Iile, 
That  greets  thy  Prefence,  and  deferves  thy  Smile  : 
This  favor'd  Ifle,  in  native  Freedom  bold, 
And  rich  in  Spirit  as  thy  Greeks  of  old. 

Tho'  foreign  Theorifts,  with  Syftem  blind,  *  15 
Prefcribe  falfe  limits  to  the  Britim  mind, 

*  Ver.  15.    See  NOTE  XL. 

And, 


[    30  ] 

And,  warp'd  by  Vanity,  prefume  to  hold, 

Our^  northern  Genius  dark,  confln'd,  and  cold: 

Painting,  fweet  Nymph,  unconfcious  of  their  chain, 

In  this  fair  Ifland  forms  her  new  Domain,  20 

And  freely  gives  to  Britain's  eager  view 

Thofe  charms  which  once  her  fav 'rite  Athens  knew. 

'Tis  true,  when  Painting,  on  Italia's  fhore, 
Difplay'd  thofe  Graces,  which  all  Realms  adore, 
No  kindred  forms  of  Englifh  growth  appear;  25 
Age  after  age  the  haplefs  Pencil  here 
Dropt  unfuccefsful  from  the  Native's  hand, 
And  fail'd  to  decorate  this  darker  Land. 
But  freely  let  impartial  Hiftory  fay, 

Why  Art  on  Britain  fhone  with  later  ray.  30 

"When  on  this  Ifle,  the  Gothic  clouds  withdrawn, 
The  diflant  light  of  Painting  feem'd  to  dawn, 
Fierce  Harry  reign'd,  who,  foon  with  pleafure  cloy'd,  * 
Now  lov'd,  now  fcorn'd,  now  worfhip'd,  now  deftroy'd. 
Thee  as  his  Wives,  enchanting  Art!  he  priz'd,  35 
Now  fought  to  crown  thee,  now  thy  death  devis'd : 

*  Ver.  33.    See  NOTE  XLI. 

Now 


[      3!  ] 

Now  ftrove  to  fix,  with  liberal  fupport, 

Thy  darling  Raphael  in  his  fumptuous  Court: 

Now  o'er  the  hallow'd  {hrines,  thy  hand  had  grac'd 

"  Cried  havock,  and  let  Hip  the  Dogs  of  Wafte." 

When  timid  Art  faw  ruin  his  delight, 

She  fled  in  terror  from  the  Tyrant's  fight. 

The  Virgin  Queen,  whom  dazzled  eyes  admire, 
The  fubtle  Child  of  this  imperious  Sire, 
Untaught  the  moral  force  of  Art  to  feel,  * 
Profcrib'd  it  as  the  flave  of  bigot  Zeal, 
Or  doom'd  it,  throwing  nobler  works  afide, 
To  drudge  in  flatt'ring  her  fantaftic  Pride : 
And  hence  the  Epic  pencil  in  the  fhade 
Gf  blank  neglect,  and  cold  obstruction  laid, 
E'en  while  the  Fairy-fprite,  and  Mufe  of  fire, 
Hung  high  in  Glory's  hall  the  Englifh  lyre. 

James,  both  for  Empire  and  for  Arts  unfit, 
(His  fenfe  a  quibble,  and  a  pun  his  wit) 
Whatever  works  he  patroniz'd  debas'd, 
But  haply  left  the  Pencil  undifgrac'd. 

*  Ver.  45.    S.e  NOTE  XLII, 


[    32  ] 

With  fairer  mind  arofe  his  nobler  Son, 
Seduc'd  by  Parages,  by  Priefts  undone  : 
Unhappy  Charles  !  oh  !  had  thy  feeling  heart 
But  honour' d  Freedom  as  it  valued  Art ! 
To  merit  juft,  thy  bounty  flow'd  alike 
On  bolder  Rubens,  and  the  foft  Vandyke  : 
To  this  ennobled  realm  thy  judgment  brought 
The  facred  miracles  that  Raphael  wrought. 
But  regal  Pride,  with  vain  Ambition  blind, 
Cut  off  the  promife  of  thy  cultur'd  mind. 
By  wounded  Liberty's  convuliive  hand 
Unbound,  fierce  Anarchy  ufurps  the  Land  ; 
While  trembling  Art  to  foreign  regions  flies, 
To  feek  a  refuge  in  ferener  fkies. 

Thefe  ftorms  fubiiding,  fee  her  once  again, 
Returning  in  the  fecond  Charles's  train  ! 
She  comes  to  copy,  in  licentious  fport, 
The  Minions  of  a  loofe  luxurious  Court ; 
From  whence  the  modefT:  Graces  turn  their  eyes, 
Where  Genius  fees,  and  o'er  the  profpecl  fighs, 
Lely's  foft  tints,  and  Dryden's  nobler  Lyre, 
Made  the  mean  Slaves  of  diflblute  Defire. 


[    33  ] 

Once  more,  alarm'd  by  War's  terrific  roar, 
The  fweet  Enchantrefs  quits  the  troubled  fhore  ; 
While  facred  Freedom,  darting  in  difdain 
Her  vengeful  Thunder  on  th'  apoftate  Train, 
And,  pleas'd  the  gloomy  Tyrant  to  difown, 
Gives  to  Nassau  the  abdicated  Throne. 

The  peaceful  Prince  may  riling  Art  defend, 
And  Art  fhall  crown  her  Patron  and  her  Friend. 
In  tumults,  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave, 
'Tis  thine,  O  !  William,  finking  realms  to  fave. 
To  thee  no  leifure  mightier  cares  allow, 
To  bind  the  laurel  on  the  ArtifVs  brow  : 
'Tis  thine  to  fix,  with  tutelary  hand, 
The  Bafe  of  Freedom,  on  which  Art  muft  ftand. 
Yet  to  thy  Palace  Kneller's  fkill  fupplied  * 
Its  richeft  ornament  in  Beauty's  pride. 
Unhappy  Kneller  !  covetous  though  vain  ; 
Thee  Glory  yielded  to  feducing  Gain  : 
While  partial  Tafte  from  modeft  Riley  turn'd,  f 
By  diffidence  depriv'd  of  praife  well  earn'd. 

•  Ver.  93.    See  NOTE  XLIII. 
t  Ver.  97.   See  NOTE  XLIV. 
F 


C    34  ] 

Tho'  in  fucceeding  years  the  Mufes  taught, 
*'  How  Ann  commanded,  and  howMARLBRo'  fought  yr  100 
And  Thornhill's  blaze  of  Allegory  gilt* 
The  piles,  that  Wren's  fuperior  genius  built  £ 
Contending  Factions,  in  her  clofing  reign, 
Like  winds  imprifon'd,  fhook  fair  Freedom's  Fane. 
Painting,  foft  timid  Nymph,  ftill  chofe  to  roam,  105, 
And  fear'd  to  fettle  in  this  making  Dome. 

At  length,  the  fury  of  each  ftorm  o'erblown, 
That  threaten'd  Brunswick's  race  on  Britain's  throne. 
Rebellion  vanquifh'd  on  her  native  more, 
Her  clans  extinguim'd,  and  her  chiefs  no  more :-.  im* 
The  youthful  Noble,  on  a  princely  Plan,  if 
Encourag'd  infant  Art,  and  firft  began 
Before  the  ftudious  eye  of  Youth  to  place. 
The  ancient  Models  of  ideal  Grace. 

When  Britain  triumph'd,  thro'  her  wide  domain,,  .1 15 
O'er  France,  fupported  by  imperious  Spain, 
And,  fated  with  her  Laurels'  large  increafe,, 
Began  to  cultivate  the  plants  of  Peace  ; 

*  Ver.  101.    See  NOTE  XLV.. 
t  Ver.  in.    See  NOTE  XLVL. 


)  f    35  3 

Fixt  by  kind  Majefty's  protecting  hand, 
Painting,  no  more  an  alien  in  our  land, 
Firft  fmil'd  to  fee,  on  this  propitious  ground, 
Her  Temples  open'd,  and  her  altars  crown'd  : 
And  Grace,  the  firft  attendant  of  her  train, 
She,  whom  Apelles  wooed,  nor  wooed  in  vain, 
To  Reynolds  gives  her  undulating  line, 
And  Judgment  doats  upon  his  chafte  deftgn. 
Tho'  Envy  whifpers  in  the  ear  of  Spleen, 
What  thoughts  are  borrow'd  in  his  perfect  fcene, 
With  glee  me  marks  them  on  her  canker'd  fcroll, 
Malicious  Fiend  !  'twas  thus  that  Virgil  ftole, 
To  the  bright  Image  gave  a  brighter  Glofs, 
Or  turn'd  to  pureft  Gold  the  foreign  Drofs. 
Excelling  Artift  !  long  delight  the  eye  ! 
Teach  but  thy  tranlient  tints  no  more  to  fly,  * 
Britain  mall  then  her  own  Apelles  fee, 
And  all  the  Grecian  fhall  revive  in  thee. 
Thy  manly  fpirit  glories  to  impart 
The  leading  Principles  of  lib'ral  Art ;  f 

*  Ver.  134.    See  NOTE  XLVII. 
t  Ver.  138.    See  NOTE  XLVIII. 

F  2 


[    36  ] 


To  youthful  Genius  points  what  courfe  to  run, 

What  Lights  to  follow,  and  what  Rocks  to  fhun  :  140 

So  Orpheus  taught,  by  Learning's  heavenly  fway, 

To  daring  Argonauts  their  doubtful  way, 

And  mark'd,  to  guide  them  in  their  bold  Career, 

Th'  unerring  Glories  of  the  ftarry  Sphere. 

Thy  Hand  enforces  what  thy  Precept  taught,  145 

And  gives  new  leflbns  of  exalted  thought ; 

Thy  nervous  Pencil  on  the  canvafs  throws 

The  tragic  ftory  of  fublimeft  woes  : 

The  wretched  Sons,  whom  Grief  and  Famine  tear, 

The  Parent  petrified  with  blank  Defpair,  150 

Thy  Ugolino  gives  the  heart  to  thrill,  * 

With  Pity's  tender  throbs,  and  Horror's  icy  chill. 

The  offspring  now  of  many  a  rival  hand, 
Sublimity  and  Grace  adorn  the  Land  ; 
Tho'  but  fome  few  years  pah1,  this  barren  eoaft  155 
Scarce  one  fair  grain  of  native  Art  could  boaft. 
Of  various  form,  where'er  we  turn  our  eyes, 
With  ftrong  and  rapid  growth  new  wonders  rife, 

*  Ver.  151.    See  NOTE  XLIX. 

Like 


/  C    37  ] 

Like  feeds  that  Manners,  with  generous  toil, 
Have  wifely  carried  to  fome  kindred  foil, 
Which,  fhooting  quick  and  vig'rous  in  their  birth, 
Speak  the  fond  bounty  of  the  virgin  Earth  i 
The  Land  o'erjoy'd  a  fairer  fruit  to  fee 
Adopts,  with  glad  furprize,  the  alien  Tree. 

Now  Art  exults,  with  annual  Triumphs  gay,  * 
And  Britain  glories  in  her  rich  difplay ; 
Merit,  who  unaflifted,  and  unknown, 
Late  o'er  his  unfeen  labours  figh'd  alone, 
Sees  honour  now  his  happier  toils  attend, 
And  in  the  generous  Public  finds  a  friend. 

O  lovely  Painting,  to  whofe  charms  I  bow, 
"  And  breathe  my  willing  verfe  with  fuppliant  vow, 
Forgive  me,  if  by  undifcerning  Praife, 
Or  groundlef9  Cenfure,  which  falfe  Judgment  fvvays 
My  failing  line  with  faint  refemblance  wrong 
Thy  Sons,  the  fubject  of  no  envious  fong  ! 

Supremely  ikill'd  the  varied  group  to  place, 
And  range  the  crowded  fcene  with  eafy  grace ; 

*  Ver.  165.    See  NOTE  L. 


[    38  ] 

To  finifli  parts,  yet  not  impair  the  whole, 
But  on  th'  impaflion'd  action  fix  the  foul ; 
Thro'  wandering  throngs  the  patriot  Chief  to  gui 
The  fhame  of  Carthage,  as  of  Rome  the  pride  ; 
Or,  while  the  bleeding  Victor  yields  his  breath, 
Give  the  bright  lelTon  of  heroic  Death. 
Such  are  thy  Merits,  West  :  by  Virtue's  hand 
Built  on  the  human  heart  thy  praife  fhall  ftand, 
While  dear  to  Glory,  in  her  guardian  Fane, 
The  names  of  Regulus  and  Wolfe  remain. 

With  kindred  power  a  rival  hand  fucceeds,  • 
For  whofe  juft  fame  expiring  Chatham  pleads  ; 
Like  Chatham's  language,  luminous  and  bold, 
Thy  colours,  Copley,  the  dread  fcene  unfold, 
Where  that  prime  Spirit,  by  whofe  guidance  hurl 
Britain's  avenging  thunder  aw'd  the  world, 
In  patriot  cares  employ'd  his  parting  breath, 
Struck  in  his  field  of  civic  fame  by  Death  ; 
And  Freedom,  happy  in  the  tribute  paid 
By  Art  and  Genius  to  fo  dear  a  Shade, 
Shall  own,  the  meafure  of  thy  praife  to  fill, 
The  aweful  fubject  equall'd  by  thy  (kill. 


/  f    S9  J 

To  Dance's  pencil,  in  Precifion  ftrong, 
Tranfcendent  Force,  and  Truth  of  Line  belong. 
Not  Garrick's  felf,  to  Shakespeare's  fpirit  true, 
Difplay'd  that  fpirit  clearer  to  our  view, 
Than  Dance  exprefTes,  in  its  fierceft  flame,  205 
The  Poet's  Genius  in  the  A&or's  Frame. 
From  Garrick's  features,  with  diftra&ion  fraught, 
He  copies  every  trace  of  troubled  thought ; 
And  paints,  while  back  the  waves  of  Battle  roll, 
The  Storm  of  fanguinary  Richard's  foul.  210 

The  rapid  Mortimer,  of  Spirit  wild, 
Imagination's  dear  and  daring  Child, 
Marks  the  fierce  Ruffian,  in  the  Dungeon's  gloom, 
Stung  with  remorfe,  and  fhudd'ring  at  his  doom. 
Yet  ftill  to  nobler  heights  his  Genius  fprings,  215 
And  paints  a  leflbn  to  tyrannic  Kings  : 
In  his  bright  colours  fee  the  field  appear 
To  Freedom  facred,  and  to  Glory  dear,. 
Where  John,  proud  Monarch,  baffled  on  his  throne, 
Hears  the  brave  Chief  his  lawlefs  pow'r  difown,  220 
And,  for  an  injur'd  Nation,  nobly  claim 
The  glorious  Charter  of  immortal  Fame  !- 

But 


[    40  ] 


But  fee  far  off  the  modeir.  Wright  retire  ! 
Alone  he  rules  his  Element  of  Fire^ 
Like  Meteors  darting  through  the  gloom  of  Night,  225 
His  fparkles  rkfli  upon  the  dazzled  fight ; 
Our  eyes  with  momentary  anguifli  fmart, 
And  Nature  trembles  at  the  power  of  Art. 
May  thy  bold  colours,  claiming  endlefs  praife, 
For  ages  mine  with  undiminim'd  blaze,  230 
And  when  the  fierce  Vesuvio  burns  no  more, 
May  his  red  deluge  down  thy  canvafs  pour ! 

Art  with  no  common  gifts  her  Gainsb'rough  grac'd, 
Two  different  Pencils  in  his  hand  me  plac'd  ; 
This  mall  command,  fhe  faid,  with  certain  aim,  235 
A  perfect  Semblance  of  the  human  Frame ; 
This,  lightly  fporting  on  the  village-green, 
Paint  the  wild  beauties  of  the  rural  Scene. 

In  Storms  fublime  the  daring  Wilson  foar?, 
And  on  the  blafled  Oak  his  mimic  Lightning  pours :  240 
Apollo  triumphs  in  his  flaming  fkies, 
And  claffic  Beauties  in  his  fcenes  arife. 

Thy  Graces,  Humphreys,  and  thy  Colours  clear, 
Fiom  Miniature's  fmall  circle  difappear  : 

10  May 


E  **  J 

May  their  diftinguim'd  Merit  ftill  prevail,  24.5 
And  fhine  with  luftre  on  the  larger  Scale. 

Let  candid  Juftice  our  attention  lead, 
To  the  foft  Crayon  of  the  graceful  Read  : 
Nor,  Gard'ner,  fhall  the  Mufe,  in  hafte,  forget 
Thy  Tafte  and  Eafe  ;  tho'  with  a  fond  Regret  250 
She  pays,  while  here  the  Crayon's  pow'r  fhe  notes, 
A  Sigh  of  Homage  to  the  Shade  of  Coates. 
Nor,  if  her  favour'd  hand  may  hope  to  (Tied 
The  flowers  of  glory  o'er  the  (killful  dead, 
Thy  Talents,  Hogarth  !  will  fhe  leave  unfung  ;  *  255 
Charm  of  all  eyes,  and  Theme  of  every  tongue  ! 
A  feparate  province  'twas  thy  praife  to  rule  ; 
Self-form'd  thy  Pencil  !  yet  thy  works  a  School, 
Where  ftrongly  painted,  in  gradations  nice, 
The  Pomp  of  Folly,  and  the  Shame  of  Vice,  260 
Reach'd  thro'  the  laughing  Eye  the  mended  Mind, 
And  moral  Humour  fportive  Art  refWd. 
While  fleeting  Manners,  as  minutely  fhewn 
As  the  clear  profpect  on  the  mirror  thrown  ; 

*  Ver.  255.    See  NOTE  LI. 

G  While 


[  #*  3 

While  Truth  of  Character,  exactly  hie, 

And  dreft  in  all  the  dyes  of  comic  wit  ; 

While  thefe,  in  Fielding's  page,  delight  fupply, 

So  long  thy  Pencil  with  his  Pen  fhall  vie. 

Science  with  grief  beheld  thy  drooping  age 

Fall  the  fad  victim  of  a  Poet's  rage  : 

But  Wit's  vindictive  fpleen,  that  mocks  controul, 

Nature's  high  tax  on  luxury  of  foul  ! 

This,  both  in  Bards  and  Painters,  Fame  forgives ; 

Their  Frailty's  buried,  but  their  Genius  lives. 

Still  many  a  Painter,  not  of  humble  Name, 
Appears  the  tribute  of  applaufe  to  claim; 
Some  alien  Artifts,  more  of  Englifh  Race, 
With  fair  Angelica  our  foreign  Grace, 
Who  paints,  with  Energy  and  Softnefs  join'd,, 
The  fond  Emotions  of  the  female  Mind  ; 
And  Cipriani,  whom  the  Loves  furround, 
And  fportive  Nymphs  in  Beauty's  Ceftus  bound : 
For  him  thofe  Nymphs  their  every  Charm  difplay, 
For  him  coy  Venus  throws  her  veil  away  ; 
And  Zaffani,  whofe  faithful  colours  give 
The  tranfient  glories  of  the  Stage  to  live  ; 


C    43  ] 

On  his  bright  canvafs  each  dramatic  Mufe 

A  perfect  copy  of  her  fcene  reviews  ; 

Each,  while  thofe  fcenes  her  loft  delight  reftore, 

Almoft  forgets  her  Garrick  is  no  more. —  290 

O'er  thefe  I  pafs  reluctant,  lcaft  too  long 

The  Mufe  diffufely  fpin  a  tedious  Song. 

Yet  one  fhort  paufe,  ye  Pow'rs  of  Verfe,  allow 
To  cull  a  Myrtle  Leaf  for  Meyers's  Brow  ! 
Tho'  fmall  its  Field,  thy  Pencil  may  prefume  295 
To  afk  a  Wreath  where  Flowers  immortal  bloom. 
As  Nature's  felf,  in  all  her  pictures  fair, 
Colours  her  Infect  works  with  niceft  care, 
Nor  better  forms,  to  pleafe  the  curious  eye, 
The  fpotted  Leopard  than  the  gilded  Fly  ;  300 
So  thy  fine  Pencil,  in  its  narrow  fpace, 
Pours  the  full  portion  of  uninjur'd  Grace, 
And  Portraits,  true  to  Nature's  larger  line, 
Boaft  not  an  Air  more  exquiiite  than  thine. 
Soft  Beauty's  charms  thy  happieil  works  exprefs,  305 
Beauty  thy  model  and  thy  Patronefs. 
For  her  thy  care  has  to  perfection  brought 
Th'  uncertain  toil,  with  anxious  trouble  fraught ; 

G  2  Thy 


[    44  ] 

Thy  colour'd  Chryflal,  at  her  fond  deflre, 

Draws  deathlefs  Luftae  from  the  dang'rous  Fire,  310 

And,  pleas'd  to  gaze  on  its  immortal  charm, 

She  binds  thy  Bracelet  on  her  fnowy  arm. 

While  Admiration  views,  with  raptur'd  eye, 
Thefe  Lights  of  Art  that  gild  the  Britifh  fky  ; 
Oh  !  may  my  Friend  arife,  with  luftre  clear,  315 
And  add  new  Glory  to  this  radiant  Sphere. 
This  wifh,  my  Romney,  from  the  pureft  fource, 
Has  Reafon's  Warrant,  join'd  to  Friendship's  Force. 
For  Genius  breath'd  into  thy  infant  Frame 
The  vital  Spirit  of  his  facred  Flame,  32c 
Which  frequent  mifts  of  Diffidence  overcloud. 
Proving  the  vigor  of  the  Sun  they  fhroud. 
Nature  in  thee  her  every  gift  combin'd^ 
Which  forms  the  Artifr.  of  the  nobleft  kind  ; 
That  fond  Ambition,  which  beftows  on  Art  325 
Each  talent  of  the  Mind,  and  pallion  of  the  Heart ; 
That  dauntlefs  Patience,  which  all  toil  defies, 
Nor  feels  the  labour  while  it  views  the  prize. 
Enlight 'ning  Study,  with  maturing  pow'r, 
From  thefe  fair  feeds  has  call'd  the  op'ning  now'r  ;  330 

Thy 


r  45  ] 

Thy  juft,  thy  graceful  Portraits  charm  the  view, 

With  every  tender  tint  that  Titian  knew. 

Round  Fancy's  circle  when  thy  Pencil  flies, 

With  what  terrific  pomp  thy  Spectres  rife  ! 

What  luft  of  mifchief  marks  thy  Witch's  form,  335 

While  on  the  Lapland  Rock  fhe  fwells  the  ftorm ! 

Tho'  led  by  Fancy  thro'  her  boundlefs  reign, 

Well  doft  thou  know  to  quit  her  wild  domain, 

When  Hiftory  bids  thee  paint,  feverely  chafte, 

Her  fimpler  fcene,  with  uncorrupted  tafte.  34a 

While  in  thefe  fields  thy  judging  eyes  explore, 

What  fpot  untried  may  yield  its  fecret  ore, 

Thy  happy  Genius  fprings  a  virgin  Mine 

Of  copious,  pure,  original  Defign  ; 

Truth  gives  it  value,  and,  diftinclly  bold,  345 

The  ftamp  of  Character  compleats  thy  Gold, 

Thy  Figures  rife  in  Beauty's  nobleft  fcale,. 

Sublimely  telling  their  heroic  Tale. 

Still  may  thy  Powers  in  full  exertion  blaze, 

And  Time  revere  them  with  unrivall'd  praife  !  350 

May  Art,  in  honour  of  a  Son  like  thee, 

So  juftly  daring,  with  a  foul  fo  free, 

1  Each 


C  4  6  -] 

Each  feparate  Province  to  thy  care  commend, 

And  all  her  Glories  in  thy  Pencil  blend  ! 

May  tender  Titian's  mellow  Softnefs  join,  355 

With  mighty  Angelo's  fublimer  Line  ; 

.JCqrregio's  .Grace  with  Raphael's  Tafte  unite, 

And  in, -thy  perfect  Works  inchant  the  ravifh'd  Sight ! 

How  oft  we  find  that  when,  with  nobleft  aim, 
The  glowing  Artift  gains  the  heights  of  Fame,  360 
To  the  well-chofen  Theme  he  chiefly  owes, 
That  praife  which  Judgment  with  delight  bellows. 
The  Lyre  and  Pencil  both  this  Truth  confefs, 
The  happy  Subject  forms  their  full  fuccefs. 

Hard  is  the  Painter's  fate,  when,  wifely  taught  365 
To  trace  with  eafe  the  deepen:  lines  of  thought, 
By  haplefs  Fortune  he  is  doom'd  to  rove 
Thro'  all  the  frolicks  of  licentious  Jove, 
That  fome  dark  Philip,  phlegmatic,  and  cold,* 
(Whofe  needy  Titian  calls  for  ill-paid  gold)  370 
May  with  voluptuous  Images  enflame 
The  fated  PaiTions  of  his  languid  frame. 

*  Vcr.  369.    See  NOTE  LIL 

Abufe 


C    47  ] 

Abufe  like  this  awakens  generous  Pain, 
And  j-uft  Deriiion  mingles  with  Difdain, 
When  fuch  a  Pencil,  in  a  Roman  hand, 
While  the  rich  Abbefs  ifTues  her  command, 
Makes  wild  St.  Francis  on  the  canvafs  fprawl, 
That  fome  warm  Nun  in  mimic  Trance  may  fall ^ 
Or,  fondly  gazing  on  the  pious  whim, 
Feel  faintly  Love  o'erload  each  lazy  limb,- 
Miftaking,  in  the  Cloifter's  dull  embrace, 
The  Cry  of  Nature  for  the  Call  of  Grace. 

But  fee  th'  hiftoric  Mufe  before  thee  ftand, 
Her  nobler  fubjeds  court  thy  happier  Hand  ! 
Her  Forms  of  reverend  Age,  of  graceful  Youth, 
Of  public  Virtue,  and  of  private  Truth: 
The  facred  power  of  injur'd  Beauty's  charms, 
And  Freedom,  fierce  in  adamantine  Arms ; 
Whence  Sympathy,  thro'  thy  ailifling  art, 
With  floods  of  Joy  may  fill  the  human  heart. 

But  while  the  bounds  of  Hift'ry  you  explore, 
And  bring  new  Treafures  from  her  farther!  fhore, 
Thro'  all  her  various  fields,  tho'  large  and  wide, 
Still  make  Simplicity  thy  conftant  guide  : 


[    48  ] 

And  moft,  my  Friend,  a  Syren's  wiles  beware,  395 

Ah  !  fhun  infidious  Allegory's  fnare  I 

FXer  Flattery  offers  an  alluring  wreath, 

Fair  to  the  eye,  but  poifons  lurk  beneath, 

By  which,  too  lightly  tempted  from  his  guard, 

Full  many  a  Painter  dies,  and  many  a  Bard.  400 

How  fweet  her  voice,  how  dang'rous  her  fpell, 

Let  Spenser's  Knights,  and  Rubens'  Tritons  tell; 

Judgment  at  colour'd  riddles  makes  his  head, 

And  fairy  Songs  are  prais'd,  but  little  read  ; 

Where,  in  the  Maze  of  her  unbounded  Sphere,  405 

Unbridled  Fancy  runs  her  wild  Career. 

In  Realms  where  Superflition's  tyrant  fway 
c<  Takes  half  the  vigor  of  the  foul  away," 
Let  Art  for  fabje&s  the  dark  Legend  fearch, 
Where  Saints  unnumber'd  people  every  Church  ;  410 
Let  Painters  run  the  wilds  of  Ovid  o'er, 
To  hunt  for  monfters  which  we  heed  no  more. 
But  here,  rny  Romney,  where,  on  Freedom's  wings, 
The  towering  Spirit  to  Perfection  fprings ; 
Where  Genius,  proud  to  act  as  Heav'n  infpires,  415 
On  Tafte's  pure  Altars  lights  his  facred  fires ; 


C    49  3 

Oh !  here  let  Painting,  as  of  old  in  Greece, 
With  patriot  paflions  warm  the  finifli'd  piece  ; 
Let  Britain,  happy  in  a  gen'rous  race, 
Of  manly  Spirit,  and  of  female  Grace, 
Let  this  frank  Parent  with  fond  eyes  explore, 
Some  juft  memorials  of  the  line  fhe  bore, 
In  tints  immortal  to  her  view  recall 
Her  deareft  Offspring  on  the  ftoried  Wall. 

But  fome  there  are,  who,  with  pedantic  fcorn, 
Defpife  the  Hero,  if  in  Britain  born  : 
For  them  Perfection  has  herfelf  no  charms, 
Without  a  Roman  robe,  or  Grecian  arms : 
Our  flighted  Country,  for  whofe  Fame  they  feel 
No  generous  Intereft,  no  manly  Zeal, 
Sees  public  Judgment  their  falfe  Tafte  arraign, 
And  treat  their  cold  contempt  with  due  difdain  ; 
To  the  fair  Annals  of  our  Ifle  we  trull, 
To  prove  this  patriot  indignation  juft, 
And,  nobly  partial  to  our  native  earth, 
Bid  Englifh  Pencils  honour  Englifh  Worth.  * 

Shall  Bayard,  glorious  in  his  dying  hour, 
Of  Gallic  Chivalry  the  faireft  Flow'r, 

•  Ver.  436.    See  NOTE  LII1. 

H 


C  50  J 

Shall  his  pure  Blood  in  Britifli  colours  flow, 

And  Britain,  on  her  canvafs,  fail  to  fhew  440 

Her  wounded  Sidney,  Bayard's  perfect  peer,  * 

Sidney,  her  Knight,  without  Reproach  or  Fear, 

O'er  whofe  pale  corfe  heroic  Worth  fhould  bend, 

And  mild  Humanity  embalm  her  Friend  ! 

Oh  !  Romney,  in  his  hour  of  Death  we  find  44'5? 

'   -  -  "  *  J      v  p.  .  4      lit)     ,w  t  i 

A  Subject  worthy  of  thy  feeling  Mind  ; 

Methinks  I  fee  thy  rapid  Hand  difplay 

The  field  of  Zutphen,  on  that  fatal  day,, 

When  arm'd  for  freedom,  'gainft  the  guilt  of  Spain, 

The  Hero  bled  upon  the  Belgic  plain  \\  450 

In  that  great  moment  thou  hafl:  caught  the  Chief, 

When  pitying  Friends  fupply  the  wifh'd  relief, 

While  Sicknefs,  Pain,  and  Thirft  his  pow'r  fubdue, 

I  fee  the  draught  he  pants  for  in  his  view  : 

Near  him  the  Soldier  that  expiring  lies,  45^ 

This  precious  Water  views  with  ghaftly  eyes, 

With  eyes  that  from  their  fockets  feem  to  burn1, 

With  eager,  frantic,  agonizing  Thirft :. 

*  Ver.  441.    See  NOTE  LIV. 

I  fee 


i  C  si  3 

I  fee  the  Hero  give,  oh  I  generous  Care  ! 
The  Cup  untafted  to  this  filent  Pray'r ; 
I  hear  him  fay,  with  Tendernefs  divine, 
cc  Thy  ftrong  NecefTity  furpaffes  mine.'* 

Shall  Roman  Charity  for  ever  fhare 
Thro'  every  various  School  each  Painter's  Care  ? 
And  Britain  ftill  her  bright  examples  hide 
Of  female  Glory,  and  of  filial  Pride  ? 
Inftrucl:  our  eyes,  my  Romney,  to  adore 
Th'  heroic  Daughter  of  the  virtuous  More,* 
Refolv'd  to  fave,  or  in  th'  attempt  expire, 
The  precious  relicks  of  her  martyr'd  Sire  : 
Before  the  cruel  Council  let  h«r  Hand, 
Prefs  the  dear  ghaftly  Head  with  pitying  Hand, 
And  plead,  while  Bigotry  itfelf  grows  mild, 
The  facred  duties  of  a  grateful  Child. 

Forgive  the  Mufe,  if  haply  fhe  commend 
A  Theme  ill-chofen  to  her  ikilful  Friend ; 
She,  tho'  its  pow'r  commands  her  willing  heart, 
Knows  not  the  limits  of  thy  lovely  Art, 

*  Ver.  468.    See  NOTE  LV. 

FI  2 


[     3*  3 

Yet  boldly  owns  an  eager  wifh  to  fee 

Her  darling  Images  adorn'd  by  thee.  4.80 

Nor  fhall  her  focial  Love  in  filence  hide 

The  juft  emotions  of  her  grateful  Pride, 

When  thy  quick  Pencil  pours  upon  her  light 

Her  own  Creation  in  a  fairer  light ; 

When  her  Serena  learns  from  thee  to  live,  485 

And  pleafe  by  every  charm  that  life  can  give. 

Thou  haft  imparted  to  th'  ideal  Fair 

Yet  more  than  Beauty's  bloom,  and  Youth's  attractive  air  ; 

For  in  thy  ftudious  Nymph  th'  enamour'd  Eye 

May,  thro'  her  breaft,  her  gentle  Heart  defcry  5  490 

See  the  fond  thoughts,  that  o'er  her  Fancy  roll, 

And  Sympathy's  foft  fwell,  that  fills  her  foul. 

But  happier  Bards,  who  boaft  a  higher  claim, 

Afk  from  thy  Genius  an  increafe  of  Fame. 

Oh  !  let  the  Sifters,  who,  with  friendly  aid,  495 

The  Grecian  Lyre,  and  Grecian  Pencil  fway'd, 

Who  join'd  their  rival  Powers  with  fond  delight. 

To  grace  each  other  with  reflected  Light, 

Let  them  in  Britain  thus  united  reign,, 

And  double  luftre  from  that  union  gain  1  500 

Not 


I'  [    S3  J 

Hot  that  my  Verfe,  adventurous,  would  pretend 
To  point  each  varied  fubjecl:  to  my  Friend ; 
Far  nobler  guides  their  better  aid  fupply  : 
When  mighty  Shakespeare  to  thy  judging  eye 
Prefents  that  magic  Glafsr  whofe  ample  Round 
Reflects  each  Figure  in  Creation's  bound,. 
And  pours,  in  floods  of  fupernatural  light,, 
Fancy's  bright  Beings  on  the  charmed  fight.. 
This  chief  Inchanter  of  the  willing  breaft, 
Will  teach  thee  all  the  magic  he  pofTeft. 
Plac'd  in  his  Circle,,  mark  in  colours  true 
Each  brilliant  Being  that  he  calls  to  view  : 
Wrapt  in  the  gloomy  ftorm,  or  rob'd  in  light, 
His  weird  Sifter  or  his  fairy  Sprite, 
Boldly  o'erleaping,  in:  the  great  defign,, 
The  bounds  of  Nature,,  with 'a  Guide  divine. 

Let  Milton's  felf,  conductor,  of  thy  way, 
Lead  thy  congenial  fpirit  to  portray 
In  Colours,  like  his  Verfe,  fublimely  ftrong, 
The  fcenes  that  blaze  in  his  immortal  fong. 

See  Michael  drawn,  by  many  a  fkilful  Hand, 
As  fuits  the  Leader  of  the  Seraph-Band  ! 

9 


I    54  ] 

But  oh  !  how  poor  the  proftrate  Satan  lies,* 

With  beftial  form  debas'd  and  goatim  eyes  ! 

Plow  chang'd  from  him  who  leads  the  dire  debate,  525 

Fearlefs  tho'  fallen,,  and  in  Ruin  great ! 

Let  thy  bold  Pencil,  more  fublimely  true, 

Prefent  his  Arch  Apoftate  to  our  view, 

In  worthier  Semblance  of  infernal  Pow'r, 

And  proudly  Handing  like  a  ftately  tow'r,  530 

While  his  infernal  mandate  bids  awake 

His  Legions,  ilumbering  on  the  burning  Lake. 

Or  paint  him  falling  from  the  Realms  of  Blifs, 
Hurl'd  in  Combuftion  to  the  deep  Abyfs  ! 
In  light  terrific  let  the  Flafh  difplay  535 
His  Pride,  ftill  proof  againft  almighty  Sway : 
Tho'  vanquim'd,  yet  immortal,  let  his  Eye 
The  Lightning's  flame,  the  Thunder's  bolt  defy, 
And  ftill,  with  Looks  of  Execration,  dare 
To  face  the  Horrors  of  the  laft  Defpair.  540 

To  thefe  great  Lords  of  Fancy's  wide  domain, 
That  o'er  the  human  Soul  unquefhion'd  reign, 


*  Ver.  523.    See  NOTE  LVI. 


To 


C    55  ] 

To  their  fuperior  Guidance  be  confign'd 
Thy  rival  Pencil  and  congenial  Mind. 
Yet  O  !  let  Friendfhip,  ere  the  Verfe  fhe  clofe, 
Which  in  juft  Tribute  to  thy  Merit  flows, 
The  fanguine  willies  of  her  heart  exprefs, 
With  fond  prefages  of  thy  full  Succefs. 

May  Health  and  Joy,  in  happieft  union  join'd, 
Breathe  their  warm  Spirit  o'er  thy  fruitful  Mind  I 
To  nobleft  Efforts  raife  thy  glowing  Heart, 
And  firing  thy  finews  to  the  toils  of  Art  ! 
May  Independance,  burfting  Fafhion's  chain? 
To  eager  Genius  give  the  flowing  rein, 
And  o'er  thy  epic  Canvafs  fmile  to  fee 
Thy  Judgment  active,  and  thy  Fancy  free  ! 
May  thy  juft  Country,  while  thy  bold  delign 
Recalls  the  Heroes  of  her  ancient  Line, 
Gaze  on  the  martial  Group  with  dear  delight  ! 
May  Youth  and  Valour,  kindling  at  the  %ht, 
G'er  the  bright  Tints  with  Admiration  lean, 
And  catch  new  Virtue  from  the  moral  Scene  ! 
May  Time  himfelf  a  fond  Reluctance  feel, 
Nor  from  thy  aged  hand  the  Pencil  Ileal, 


[    56  1 

But  grant  it  ftill  to  gain  increaling  Praife, 
In  the  late  Period  of  thy  lengthen'd  days, 
While  faireft  Fortune  thy  long  Life  endears, 
With  Raphael's  Glory  johVd  to  Titian's  Years! 


NOT 


NOTES 


TO  THE 


FIRST  EPISTLE. 


AS  there  may  poffibly  be  fome  Readers  of  the  foregoing  Performance, 
who  may  wifh  to  look  into  the  fources  from  whence  the  Author 
has  borrowed  fome  of  his  ideas,  he  has  thrown  together  the  fubfe- 
quent  Notes,  and  disjoined  them  from  the  body  of  the  Work,  as 
they  are  intended  only  for  the  perufal  of  thofe  who  have  leifure  and 
difpofition  for  fuch  kind  of  reading. 


NOTE    I.      Verse  77. 

JirfAKE  hijlory  to  life  ?iew  value  lend.]  One  of  the  mod  elegant 
writers  of  the  prefent  age,  has  made  an  ingenious  effort  to  intro- 
duce Hiftory  into  the  dull  province  of  Portrait-painting,  "  by  repre- 
fenting  a  whole  family  in  a  (ingle  picture,  under  fome  interesting  hif- 
torical  fubjecl  fuitable  to  their  rank  and  character."  See  Fitzofborne's 
Letters,  p.  6.  Put  as  the  beauties  and  advantages  of  this  plan  (Iruck 
forcibly  on  the  imagination  of  this  amiable  Author,  the  infinite  diffi- 
culties attending  its  execution  were  likewife  fully  open  to  his  difcern- 
ment.  The  fuccefs  mud  depend  on  the  choice  of  fubjecl: :  where  that 
is  not  very  happily  adapted,  the  picture  will  probably  contain  fome  moil 
ridiculous  abfurdities — Perhaps  the  Reader  may  recollect  an  unfortu- 
nate inftance  or  two  of  this  kind. 

I  NOT  E 


58  NOTES. 


NOTE    II.    Verse  ioo. 

Not  lefs  abfard  to  flatter  Nero's  eyes.]    Pliny  furnifhes  us  with  this 
fingular  anecdote,  as  an  inftance  of  the  extravagant  abufe  of  Portrait- 
painting  in  his  days,  which,  as  he  informs  us,  had  arrived  to  a  degree 
of  madnefs.    "  Nero  had  ordered  himfelf  to  be  painted  under  the  fi- 
gure of  a  ColofTus,  upon  cloth  or  canvafs,  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
in  height."  The  fame  author  informs  us,  that  this  prepofterous  pic- 
ture, when  it  was  finimed,  met  with  its  fate  from  lightning,  whicli 
confumed  it,  and  involved  likewife  the  moft  beautiful  part  of  the  gar- 
dens where  it  was  placed  in  the  conflagration.    The  Reader  may  find 
fome  ingenious  remarks  upon  this  fubjedt,  in  the  Notes  fur  l'Hiftoire 
de  la  Peinture  ancienne  extraite  de  l'Hiftoire  naturelle  de  Pline.  Foh 
London,  1725. 

NOTE    III.      Verse  108. 

Bleji  be  the  pencil !  which  from  death  can  Jave.]  The  fweet  illufion  of 
this  enchanting  art  is  prettily  exprefTed  in  a  Letter  of  Raphael's  to  his 
friend  Francefco  Raifolinir  a  Bolognefe  painter.    The  two  artifts  had' 
agreed  to  exchange  their  own  portraits,  and  Raphael,  on  receiving  his 
friend's  picture,  addreiTes  him. in  the  following  words : 

"  MefTer  Francefco  mio  caro  ricevo  in  quefto  punto  ilvoftro  ritratto 

 egli  e  belliflimo,  e  tanto  vivo,  che  m'  inganno  talora,  creden- 

domi  di  effere  con  efTo  voi,  e  fentire  le  voftre  parole." 

Raccolta  di  Lettere  fulla  Pittura,  &c.    Tom.  i.  pag.  82. 

The  charm  of  Portrait-painting  is  ftill  more  beautifully  defcribed  in 
verfe  by  a  friend  of  Raphael's,  the  amiable  and  accomplifhsd  Count 
Balthafor  Caftiglione. 

Sola  tuos  Vultus  referens  Raphaelis  imago^ 
Pida  manu,  curas  allevat  ufque  meas : 

Huic  ego  delicias  facio,  arrifuque  jocoque 
Alloquor,  et  tanquam  reddere  verba  queat 

AlTeniuj, 


NOTES. 


59 


AfTenfu,  nutuque  mihi  faepe  ilia  videtur 

Dicere  velle  aliquid,  et  tua  verba  loqui. 
Agnofcit  balboque  Patrem,  puer  ore  falutat. 
Hoc  folor,  longos  decipioque  dies. 

Thefe  elegant  lines  are  part  of  an  epiftle,  written  in  the  name  of  his 
Countefs,  Hyppolyte,  to  her  hufband.  See  Pope's  edition  of  the 
Poemata  Italorum,  Vol.  ii.  page  248. 

NOTE    IV.      Verse  126. 

Infpird  by  thee,  the  f oft  Corinthian  Maid.]  Pliny  has  tranfmitted  to 
us  the  Hiftory  of  the  Maid  of  Corinth  and  her  father.  "  Dibutades, 
a  potter  of  Sicyon,  firiT  formed  likeneiTes  in  clay  at  Corinth,  but  was 
indebted  to  his  daughter  for  the  invention ;  the  girl  being  in  love 
with  a  young  man  who  was  foon  going  from  her  into  fome  remote 
country,  traced  out  the  lines  of  his  face  from  his  fhadow  upon  the 
wall  by  candle-light.  Her  father,  rilling  up  the  lines  with  clay, 
formed  a  bull:,  and  hardened  it  in  the  fire  with  the  reft  of  his  earthen 
ware."  Plin.  Lib.  35. 

Athenagoras,  the  Athenian  philofopher,  gives  a  ilmilar  account  of 
this  curious  and  entertaining  anecdote,  adding  the  circumftance  that 
the  youth  was  ileeping  when  the  likenefs  was  taken  from  his  fhadow. 

The  fame  writer,  who  lived  in  the  fecond  century  of  the  Chriftian 
ara,  informs  us  that  this  monument  of  ancient  art  was  extant  at  Co- 
rinth in  his  time,  though  Pliny  feems  to  intimate  that  it  did  not  furvive 
the  taking  of  that  city  by  Mummius. 

In  the  Poefies  de  Fontenelle  there  is  an  epiftle  from  the  Maid  of  Co- 
rinth, whom  the  author  calls  Dibutadis,  to  her  imaginary  lover  Pole- 
mon.    She  defcribes  her  own  work  in  the  following  Stanzas : 

I  2  Une 


Co  NOTES. 

Une  lampe  pretoit  une  Lumiere  fombre 

Qui  in  aidoit  encore  a  rever  : 
Je  voyois  fur  un  mur  fe  depeindre  ton  ombre, 

Et  m'  appliquois  a  l'obferver  : 

Car  tout  plait,  Polemon,  pour  peu  qu'il  rep-refente 

L'  objet  de  notre  attachement, 
Cell  afifez  pour  flater  les  langueurs  d'une  amante 

Que  l'ombre  feule  d'un  amant. 

Mais  je  poufTai  plus  loin  cette  douce  chimere, 

Je  voulus  fixer  en  ces  Lieux, 
Attacher  a.  ce  mur  une  ombre  pafTagere 

Pour  la  conferver  a  mes  yeux. 

Alors  en  la  fuivant  du  Bout  d'une  baguette 

Je  trace  une  Image  de  toi ; 
Une  image,  il  eft  vrai,  peu  diftincte,  imparfaite, 

Mais  enfin  charmante  pour  moi. 

NOTE    V.      Verse  194. 

>cTivas  then  Paneeus  drew,  with  freedom's  train. "\  Panasus  was  the 
brother  of  Phidias,  the  celebrated  Sculptor,  whom  he  is  faid  to  have 
afTifted  in  his  nobleft  works.  Paufanias,  in  his  Fifth  Book,  gives  an  ac- 
count of  feveral  pictures  by  this  early  Artift,  and  particularly  of  the 
picture  here  alluded  to.  It  was  painted  in  the  celebrated  portico  called 
llo*y.(x>i,  Pcecile. 

Belides  a  general  reprefentation  of  the  conflict,  the  flight  of  the 
barbarians,  and  a  dirtant  view  of  their  mips,  Thefeus,  Minerva,  and 
Hercules  were,  according  to  this  author,  exhibited  in  the  piece. 
The  moft  confpicuous  figures  among  the  perfons  engaged  were  Calli- 
machus,  and  Miltiades,  and  a  hero  called  Echetlus  :  he  mentions  alfo 

another 


NOTE     S.  61 

another  hero,  who  is  introduced  into  the  picture,  called  Marathon, 
from  whom,  he  fays,  the  field  had  its  name. 

Paufanias,  fol.  Lip.  1696.  p.  37. 

From  Pliny's  account  of  the  fame  picture  we  learn  that  the  heads 
of  the  generals  were  portraits — adeo  jam  colorum  ufus  percrebuerat, 
adeoque  ars  perfecta  erat  ut  in  eo  Pra?lio  ICONICOS  duces  pinxifTe 
tradatur. —  Plin.  Lib.  35.  c.  8. 

Miltiades  had  the  honour  of  being  placed  foremoft  in  this  illuf- 
trious  group,  as  a  reward  f  jr  his  having  faved  Athens,  and  all  Greece, 

Cor.  Nep.  in  Vita  Miltiadis. 

Panasus  flourifhed,  according  to  Pliny,  in  the  83d  Olympiad,  little 
more  than  forty  years  after  the  battle  he  painted. 


NOTE    VI.      Ve  rse  198. 

'There  Polygnotus,  fcorning  fertile  hire.~\  Of  the  talents  of  Polyg- 
notus  much  honourable  mention  is  made  by  many  of  the  beft  authors 
of  antiquity,  as  Arifiotle  and  Plutarch,  Dionyfius  Halicaniaffenfi:--, 
&c.  Paufanias  fpeaks  of  the  pictures  here  alluded  to,  and  in  his 
Tenth  Book,  introduces  a  very  long  defcription  of  other  pictures  by 
the  fame  artiit,  painted  alfo  from  Homer  in  the  Temple  at  Delphos. 
The  palfage  however  gives  but  a  confufed  and  imperfect  idea  of 
the  painter's  performance.  How  much  the  art  is  indebted  to 
this  ancient  mailer,  what  orace  and  foftnefs  he  gave  to  the  human 
countenance,  what  embellimments  he  added  to  the  female  figure  and 
drefs,  are  much  more  happily  defcribed  by  Pliny.  Primus  Mulieres 
lucida  vefle  pinxit,  capita  earum  mitris  vcrficoloribus  operuit,  pluri- 
mumque  picturae  primus  contulit  :  fiquidcm  inllituit  os  adaperire, 
dentes  oflendere,  vultum  ab  antiquo  rigore  variare.  The  fame  author 
likewife  bears  honourable  teflimony  to  the  liberal  fpirit  of  this  great 
artift,  who  refufed  any  reward  for  his  ingenious  labours  in  the  por- 
tico.— 


62  NOTE  S. 


tico.— -Porticum  gratuito,  cum  partem  ejus  Mycon  mercede  pin- 
geret.  Plin.  Lib.  35.  cap.  8. 

Pie  flourished  about  the  90th  Olympiad. 

NOTE    VII.      Verse  202. 

Thy  tragic  pencil,  Arijlides,  caught.]  The  city  of  Thebes  had  the 
honour  of  giving  birth  to  this  celebrated  Artift.  He  was  the  firrt, 
according  to  Pliny,  who  expreffed  Character  and  Paffion,  the  Human 
Mind,  and  its  feveral  emotions  ;  but  he  was  not  remarkable  for  foft- 
nefs  of  colouring.  "  His  raoft  celebrated  picture  was  of  an  infant 
(on  the  taking  of  a  town)  at  the  mother's  breaft,  who  is  wounded  and 
expiring.  The  fenfations  of  the  mother  were  clearly  marked,  and 
her  fear  leaft  the  child,  upon  failure  of  the  milk,  mould  fuck  her 
blood."  "  Alexander  the  Great,"  continues  the  fame  author,  "  took 
this  picture  with  him  to  Pella." 

It  is  highly  probable,  according  to  the  conjecture  of  Junius,  (in  his 
learned  Treatife  de  Pictura  Veterum)  that  the  following  beautiful 
epigram  of  ^Emilianus  was  written  on  this  exquifite  picture  : 

-EAX£,    TX\XV,    TtX^X   jlOITfOJ    OU    8)t    £T»    (A&^OV  fl^UfA^ElJ 
EXxUfTOV    VfxllOV    VX^.X    Xx\x  <pS»/A£f*)f. 

H  (T»  yctg  %npit<r<ri  Xnroirvoot;'  xKXx  rx  fxrtr^ 
$tAT^a  xa\  elv  oc'xS-n  nxi^OKO^nv  sjxx^ov. 

It  is  not  ill  tranflated  into  Latin  by  Grotius : 

Suge,  mifer,  nunquam  quae  pofthac  pocula  fuges ; 

Ultima  ab  exanimo  corpore  poc'la  trahe  ! 
Expiravit  enim  jam  faucia ;  fed  vel  ab  orco 

Infantem  novit  pafcere  matris  amor. 


But 


NOTES.  63 


But  this  is  far  inferior,  and  fo  perhaps  is  the  original  itfelf,  to  the  very 
elegant  Englifh  verflon  of  it,  which  Mr.  Webb  has  given  us  in  his  in- 
genious and  animated  "  Inquiry  into  the  Beauties  of  Painting." 

Suck,  little  wretch,  while  yet  thy  mother  lives, 

Suck  the  lafl  drop  her  fainting  bofom  gives  ! 
She  dies  :  her  tendernefs  furvives  her  breath, 

And  her  fond  love  is  provident  in  death. 

Webb,  Dialogue  7.  p.  i6j* 

NOTE    VIII.      Verse  206. 

Correct  Parrhajiits  Jirjl  to  rich  dejign.']  The  name  of  Parrhafius 
is  immortalized  by  many  of  the  moll;  celebrated  ancient  authors  ;  and 
his  peculiar  talents  are  thus  recorded  in  Pliny:  Primus  lymmetriam 
pictura?  dedit,  primus  argutias  vultus,elegantiam  capilli,  venuftatem 
oris  :  confeflione  artifkum  in  lrneis  extremis  palmamadeptus. — He  is 
one  of  the  four  ancient  painters,  whofe  lives  are  written  by  Carlo  Dati. 
— This  ingenious  Italian  very  juftly  queftions  the  truth  of  the  Angu- 
lar ftory  concerning  Parrhafius,  preferved  in  Seneca,  where  he  is  accufed 
of  purchafi-ng  an  old  Olynthian  captive,  and  expofing  him  to  a  mod 
wretched  death,  that  he  might  paint  from  his  agony  the  tortures  of 
Prometheus.  The  fame  author  contradicts  on  this  occafion  a  fimilar 
falfehood  concerning  the  great  Michael  Angelo,  which  was  firft  circu- 
lated from  the  pulpit  by  an  ignorant  prieft,  as  we  learn  from  Gori's 
Hiftorical  Annotations  to  the  Life  of  M.  Angelo,  by  his  fcholar 
Condivi. 

NOTE    IX.      Verse  210. 

The  gay,  the  warm,  licentious  Zeuxis  drew  J]  The  Helen  of  Zeuxis  is 
become  almoft  proverbial  :  the  Story  of  the  Artift's  having  executed 
the  picture  from  an  afTemblage  of  the  moft  beautiful  females  is  men- 
tioned (though  with  fome  variation  as  to  the  place)  by  authors  of  great 

5  credit, 


64-  NOTES. 

credit,  Pliny,  Dionyfius  of  Halicarnaffus,  and  Cicero.  The  laft  gives 
a  very  long  and  circumftantial  account  of  it. 

De  Inventione,  Lib.  2. 

If  the  ftory  is  true,  it  is  perhaps  one  of  the  ftrongeft  examples 
we  can  find  of  that  enthufiaftick  paffion  for  the  fine  arts  which  ani- 
mated the  ancients.  Notwithstanding  her  preeminence  in  beauty,  it 
feems  fomewhat  lingular  that  the  painter  mould  have  chofen  fuch 
a  character  as  Helen,  as  a  proper  decoration  for  the  Temple  of  Juno. 
A  mo  ft  celebrated  Spannh  Poet,  though  not  in  other  refpects  famous 
for  his  judgment,  has,  I  think,  not  injudicioufly  metamorphofed  this 
Helen  of  Zeuxis  into  Juno  herfelf. 

Zeufis,  Pintor  famofo,  retratando 
De  Juno  el  roflro,  las  faciones  bellas 
De  cinco  perfettillimas  donzellas 
Eftuvo  attentamente  contemplando. 

Rimas  de  Lope  de  Vega. 

Lifboa,  1605.  p.  51-2. 

Junius  fuppofes  this  picture  to  have  been  rated  a  little  too  high.— « 

NOTE    X.      Verse  216. 

Yet  oft  to  gain  fublimer  heights  he  Jirove.]  Grace  is  the  well-known 
excellence  of  Apelles,  but  that  he  fometimes  very  happily  attempted 
the  fublime,  we  learn  both  from  Plutarch  and  Pliny,  who  fpeak  of  his 
force  and  energy — The  Alexander  of  Philip,  fays  Plutarch,  was  invin- 
cible, the  Alexander  of  Apelles  inimitable. 

He  painted,  fays  Pliny,  things  that  furpafs  the  power  of  painting, 
quse  pingi  non  poffunt,  Tonitrua,  fulgura  fulgetraque — 


10 


NOTE 


NOTES. 


65 


NOTE    XI.    Verse  228. 

While  chilling  damps  upon  the  pencil  hung  ]  That  the  Romans  at- 
tained to  no  degree  of  excellence  in  Painting,  or  Sculpture,  feems  to 
be  confeft,  and  accounted  for  in  the  following  pafiage  of  Tully's  Tuf- 
culan  Difputations,  Lib.  1. 

An  cenfemus,  ft*  Fabio,  nobiliffimo  homini,  laudi  datum  eiTet  quod 
pingeret,  non  multos  etiam  apud  nos  futuros  Polycletos,  et  Parrhafios 
fuifTe  ?  honos  alit  artes,  omnefque  incenduntur  ad  Studia  Gloria,  ja- 
centque  ea  fernper  qua?  apud  quofque  improbantur. 

The  fine  arts  neceffarily  languifh  without  publick  protection  or  en- 
couragement :  but  publick  honours  at  Rome  flowed  in  a  very  different 
channel.  While  the  Roman  boafted  his  confummate  fkill  in  every 
art  of  empire  and  government,  he  avowed,  in  many  works  of  genius 
and  tafte,  his  inferiority  with  an  air  of  triumph. 

Excudent  alii  fpirantia  mollius  sera, 
Credo  equidem  vivos  ducent  de  marmore  vultus  : 
Orabunt  caufas  melius,  cadique  meatus 
Defcribent  radio,  et  furgentia  Sidera  dicent. 
Tu  regere  imperio  populos,  Romane,  memento : 
Hae  tibi  erunt  artes,  pacifque  imponere  morem  : 
Parcere  fubjectis  et  debellare  fuperbos. 

^Eneidos,  Lib,  VI. 

NOTE    XII.      Verse  244. 

there  Jludious  Vinci  treafurd  every  rule.]  Lionardo  da  Vinci  was 
bcrn  near  Florence  in  1445.  He  was  perhaps  a  man  as  universally 
accomplifhed  as  ever  exifted.  ^Not  only  admirable  beyond  his  Prede- 
cefTors  in  his  own  profefiion  of  Painting,  but  an  excellent  Architect 
and  Mufician,  and  of  great  flcill  as  an  Anatomift.  Befides  all  thefe  ta- 

K  lents3 


66 


NOTES. 


lents,  he  was,  according  to  Vafari,  the  befl  extempore  Rimer  of  his 
Time. — Plis  Hiftory  and  Works  are  well  known. — The  lingular  cir- 
cumftance  of  his  dying  in  the  arms  of  Francis  the  Firft,  king  of 
France,  is  mentioned  by  a  French  poet  of  the  prefent  age, 

"  Lorfque  Francois  premier,  Roi  digne  d'  etre  heureux, 
Tint  Leonarad  mourant  dans  fes  bras  genereux." 

And  the  particulars  of  his  death  are  thus  curioufly  recorded  by  Vafari> 
who  fpeaks  in  raptures  of  his  various  and  exalted  talents  : 

Finalmente  venuto  vecchio,  ftette  molti  men"  ammalato,  et  veden- 
dofi  vicino  alia  morte,  fi  volfe  diligentemente  informare  de  le  cofe 
catoliche,  &  della  via  buona,  et  fanta  religione  chriftiana,  et  poi  con 
molti  pianti  confeffo  e  contrito,  fe  bene  e'  non  poteva  reggerfi  in  piedi, 
forte  nendofi  nelle  braccie  di  fuoi  amici,  e  fervi,  volfe  divotamente 
pigliare  il  fantiffimo  facramento,  fuor  del  letto  :  fopragiunfeli  il  Re 
che  fpeflb  e  amerevolmente  le  foleva  vifitare  :  per  il  che  cgli  per  rive- 
renza  rizzatofi  a  federe  ful  letto,  contando  il  mal  fuo  &  gli  accidenti 
di  quello  moflrava  tuttavia  quanto  aveva  offefo  dio,  et  gli  huomini  del 
mendo,  non  avendo  operato  nel  arte  come  fi  conveniva :  onde  gli 
venne  un  parofifmo  meflagiero  della  morte.  Per  la  qual  cofa  rizzatofi 
il  Re,  et  prefola  la  tefta  per  aiutarlo,  &  porgerli  Favore,  accio  che  il 
male  lo  allegerilfe  ;  lo  fpirito  fuo,  che  diviniflimo  era,  conofcendo  non 
potere  havere  maggiore  honore,  fpir6  in  braccio  a  quell  re  nella  eta 
fua  d'  anni  75. 

Vafari  Vita  di  Lionardo  da  Vinci,  p.  10,  11. 

NOTE    XIII.     Verse  251. 

Gigantic  Angela  bis  wonders  wrought."]  Michael  Angelo  Buonaroti 
was  born  near  Florence  1474,  and  died  at  Rome  1564. 

This  illuftrious  man  is  too  well  known,  both  as  an  Architect  and  a 

Painter,. 


NOTES. 


67 


Painter,  to  need  any  encomium  :  he  was  alfo  a  Poet.  His  Rime  were 
printed  by  the  Giunto  at  Florence,  in  quarto,  in  1623.  The  follow- 
ing Sonnet,  which  is  to  be  found  in  Vafari,  to  whom  it  is  addrefTed, 
is  at  once  a  proof  of  his  poetical  talents,  and  his  religious  turn  of 
mind  :  it  may  ferve  alfo  as  a  lelfon  to  vanity,  in  mewing  th.it  even  a 
genius  of  the  fublimeft  clafs  entertained  great  apprchenfion  concern- 
ing the  mortality  of  his  fame. 

Giunti  e  gia  '1  corfo  dslla  vita  mia, 

Con  tempeftofo  mar  per  fragil  barca, 

Al  comun  porto,  ov'  a.  render  ii  varca 
Conto  e  ragion  d'  ogni  opra  trifta,  e  pia. 

Onde  V  afrVctuofa  fantafia 
Che  1'  arte  mi  fece  idolo  e  monarca, 
Cognofco  hor  ben  quant  'era  d'error  carca 

E  quel  ch'  a  mal  fuo  grado  ognun  defia, 

Gli  amorofi  penfier,  gia  vani,  e  lieti 
Che  fien  or'  s'a  due  morti  mi  avicino  ? 

D'una  fo  certo,  e  1'  altra  mi  minaccia. 
Ne  pinger  ne  fcolpir  fia  piu  che  queti 
L'anima  volta  a  quello  amor  divino 

Ch'  aperfe  a  prender  noi  in  croce  le  braccia. 

A  letter,  addrefTed  to  his  friend  Vafari,  on  the  death  of  Urbino,  his 
old  and  faithful  fervant,  mews,  that  he  united  the  foft  virtues  of  a 
moft  benevolent  heart  to  the  fublime  talents  of  an  elevated  mind. — 
This  letter  is  printed  both  in  Vafari,  and  in  the  Srft  volume  of  Rac- 
colta  de  Lettere  fulla  Pittura,  6cc.  p.  6. 


NOTE 


68 


NOTES. 


NOTE    XIV.     Verse  254. 

tafie,  Fancy,  Judgment,  all  on  Raphael  fmil'd.]  Raffaello  da  Urbino 
was  born  in  1483,  and  died  1520.  His  amiable  qualities  as  a  Man 
were  not  inferior  to  his  exalted  talents  as  an  Artift.  The  reader 
will  not  be  difpleafed  to  fee  the  fingular  eulogium  which  the  honeft 
Vafari  has  beftowed  on  the  engaging  manners  of  this  molt  celebrated 
Genius. 

Certo  fra  le  fue  doti  fingulari  ne  fcorgo  una  di  tal  valore  che  in 
me  fteffo  ftupifco  j  che  il  cielo  gli  diede  torza  di  poter  moftrare  nell* 
arte  noftra  uno  efTetto  fi  contrario  alle  complefTioni  di  noi  pittori :.: 
quefto  e  che  naturalmente  gli  artefici  noftri;,  non  dico  foli  i  baffi,  ma 
quelli  che  hanno  umore  d'  effer  grandi  (come  di  quefto  umore  l'arte 
ne  produce  infiniti)  lavorando  ncli' opere  in  compagnia  di  Raffaello, 
ftavano  uniti  e  di  concordia  tale  che  tutti  i  mali  umori  in  veder  lui 
s'amorzavano  :  e  ogni  vil-e  e  bafib  penfiero  cadeva  loro  di  mente.  La 
quale  unione  mai  non  fu  piu  in  altro  tempo  che  nel  fuo.  E  quefto 
aveniva  perche  reftavano  vinti  dalla  cortefia  e  dall'  arte  fua,  ma  piu  dal 
genio  della  fua  buona  natura. 

Vafari  Vita  di  Raff.  p.  88. . 

To  atone  for  the  imperfect  fketch,  which  has  been  here  attempted 
of  thefe  divine  artifts,  (Michael  An  gel  o.  and  Raphael)  the  author  in- 
tended to  have  prefented  the  reader,  with  a  long  quotation  from  a 
moft  animated  difcourfe  of  the  Prefident  of  the  Royal  Academy,  in 
which  he  has  placed  thefe  great  mafters  in  a  light  of  companion  with 
each  other.    But  as  the  difcourfes  of  Sir  Jolhua  Reynolds  are  no 
longer  fcarce  (a  new  edition  being  now  publifhed)  he  mail  refer  the 
reader  to  the  Work  itfelf.    He  will  find  this  moft  happy  and  ingeni- 
ous parallel  in  the  difcourfe  delivered  at  the  Royal  Academy,  De- 
cember 10,  1772,. 


r 


NOTE 


NOTES.  69 


NOTE    XV.     Verse  260. 

The  daring  'Julio,  though  by  Raphael  train  d.~\  Julio  Romano  was 
born  at  Rome  1492,  and  died  at  Mantua  1546, 

His  Angular  character  is  forcibly  drawn  by  Vafari.    He  was,  ac- 
cording to  this  writer,  the  mod  fuccefsful  imitator  of  Raphael,  the 
greater  part  of  whofe  fcholars  became  eminent,  and  were  almoft. in- 
finite in  number.    Raphael  was  particularly  attentive  to  Julio,  and 
loved  him  with  the  affection  of  a  parent. 

Vafari  Vita  di  Giulio.' 

NOTE    XVI.     Verse  268.. 

More  richly  warm,  the  glowing  Titian  knew.]  We  find  frequent  cen- 
fures  thrown  upon  Titian  by  the  criticks,  for  confining  himfelf  "  to 
flattering  the  eye  by  the  richnefs  and  truth  of  his  colouring,  without 
it  proper  attention  to  the  higher  branch  of  his  art,  that  of  interefling 
our  feeling  by  affecting  fubjects;"  the  criticifm  is  indeed  extended  to 
the  Painters  of.  the  Lombard  School  in  general. 

Du  Bos,  Tom.  I.  Sect.  10. 

Why  Titian  chofe  not  to  follow  the  finished  method  of  his  excellent 
cotemporaries,  he  declared  to  Francefco  de  Vargas,  the  embaffador  of' 
Charles  the  Vth  at  Venice. 

"  I,  fear,  (replied  this  eminent  Painter  to  the  queftion  of  Vargas,  - 
I  fhould  never  equal  the  extreme  delicacy  which  diftinguifhes  the  pen- 
cils of  Corregio,  Parmegiano,  and  Raphael :  and  even  though  I 
fhould  be  fuccefsful  enough  to  equal  them,  I  fhould  always  rank  be- 
low them,  becaufe  I  fhould  be  only  accounted  their  imitator.  In 
a  word,  ambition,  which  always  attends  the  fine  arts,  has  induced  me 
to  choofe  a  way  entirely  new,  in  which  I  might  make  myfelf  filmed 
for  fomething,  ,as  the  great  Matters  have  done  in  the  rout?  they  have- 
followed." 

Antoine  Perez,  ,  dans  la  foixante  unieme  de  fes  Second -s -Leitrcs. 

This 


7o 


NOTES. 


This  great  Artift  enjoyed  a  long  life  of  uninterrupted  health,  and 
died  during  the  plague  at  Venice  in  1576,  at  the  uncommon  age  of 
ninety-nine. 

NOTE    XVII.      Verse  282. 

Soft  as  Catullus,  fweet  Corregio  play  d]  Antonio  da  Corregio. — Very 
different  accounts  are  given  by  different  authors  of  the  birth  and  for- 
tunes of  this  exquifite  Painter.  His  capital  pictures  were  executed 
about  the  year  1 51 2,  according  to  Vafari ;  who  relates,  in  a  very  affect- 
ing manner,  the  circumltances  of  his  poverty  and  death. 

Having  taken  a  journey  on  foot,  in  extremely  hot  weather,  he  im- 
prudently drank,  cold  water,  which  brought  on  a  fever,  of  which  he 
died  at  about  the  age  of  forty. 

His  colouring  was  moft  exquifitely  adapted  to  the  delicate  foftnefs 
of  female  beauty.  To  form  a  perfect  picture  of  Adam  and  Eve  (fays 
an  Italian  writer  on  Painting)  Adam  ihould  be  defigned  by  Michael 
Angelo,  and  coloured  by  Titian;  Eve  defigned  by  Raphael,  and  co- 
loured by  Corregio. — 

The  ill  fortune  of  Corregio,  and  the  grofs  neglect  of  Art,  in  the 
very  city,  which  h e  had  adorned  with  the  mot  exquifite  productions 
of  his  pencil,  are  expreffed  with  great  feeling  in  a  letter  of  Annibal 
Carracci,  written  while  he  was  ftudying  the  works  of  Corregio,  at 
Parma,  to  his  coufin  Lodovico,  in  1580. — Vide  Raccolta  de  Lettere, 
&c.  Tom.  I.  p.  88. 

NOTE    XVIIL     Verse  284. 

Though  Parma  claim  it  for  her  rival  fori.']  Francefco  Mazzuoli  was 
born  at  Parma  in  1 504,  and  is  thence  ufually  called  Parmogiano.  His 
character  is  thus  diftin&ly  marked  by  Vafari : 

"  Fu  dal  cielo  largamente  dodato  di  tutte  quelle  parti,  che  a  un 
excellente  pittore  fono  richieite,  poi  che  diede  alle  fue  figure,  oltre 
2  quello, 


l 


NOTES.  71 


quello,  che  fi  e  detto  di  molti  altri,  una  certa  venufta,  dolcezza,  e 
leggiadria  nell  attitudini,  che  fu  fua  propria  e  particohre." — The  fame 
author  gives  us  a  particular  defcripti  n  of  the  lingular  and  admirable 
portrait,  which  this  delicate  artift  drew  of  himfelf  reflected  from  a 
convex  mirror  :  he  relates  alfo  fome  curious  circumftances  of  his  alle- 
gorical portrait  of  the  emperor  Charles  the  Vth,  which  he  painted  by 
memory,  and  by  the  recommendation  of  Pope  Clement  the  Vilth. 
prefented  to  the  emperor  at  Bologna. — The  honeft  biographer  la- 
ments, with  great  feeling,  the  errors  and  misfortunes  of  this  moir. 
promising  painter,  who  being  feized,  early  in  life,  with  the  frenzy  of 
turning  alchemift,  impaired  his  health  and  fortune  by  this  fatal  pur- 
fuit;  his  attachment  to  which  however  fome  authors  have  queilion- 
ed :  a  delirious  fever  put  a  period  to  his  melancholy  days  at  the  age 
of  thirty-fix,  in  his  native  city  of  Parma,  1540. 

NOTE    XIX.      Verse  290. 

'Till  with  pure  judgment  the  Caracci  came.']  Lodovico  Caracci,  who- 
with  his  couiins  Annibal  and  Auguftin  ertablifhed  the  famous  Acade- 
my of  Bologna,  was  born  in  that  city  1555.  The  circumflance  that 
occalioned  his  death,  as  related  by  a  French  author,  affords  a  lingular 
proof  how  dangerous  it  is  for  an  Artift:  to  confide  in  the  partial  judg- 
ment of  his  particular  friends. 

Son  dernier  ouvnige  qui  eft  une  Annonciation  peinte  a  frefque,  dans 
une  des  lunettes  de  la  Cathedrale  de  Bologne,  ne  reuffit  pas ;  fon 
age,  une  vue  affoiblie,  8c  la  grande  elevation  de  l'Eglife  furent  caufe 
qu'il  fe  confia  a  un  ami  pour  voir  d'en  bas  1'efFct  de  l'ouvrage.  Cet 
ami  lui  dit  qu'il  etoit  bien,  &  qu'il  pouvoitfaire  oter  les  Echaufauds  : 
il  fut  trompe ;  on  critiqua  fort  cette  peinture  :  Louis  s'en  chagrina 
de  maniere  qu'il  fe  mit  au  lit,  et  Bologne  perdit  ce  grand  Homme  en 
1619. — Abiege  de  la  Vie  des  plus  fameux  Peintres.  Paris  8vo.  1762. 
Tom.  II.  p.  50. 

Auguftin.v 


N      O     T     E  :S. 


Auguftin,  who  quitted  the  pencil  for  the  engraver,  and  is  much 
celebrated  for  his  various  accomplishments,  died  at  Parma  in  1602.—- 
Annibal,  the  immortal  Painter  of  the  Farnefe  gallery,  whom  Pouffin 
did  not  hefitate  to  rank  with  Raphael  himfelf,  died  in  a  ftate  of  diffrac- 
tion at  Rome,  1609.  This  melancholy  event  is  defcribed  in  a  very  af- 
fecting letter  written  by  an  Italian  prelate,  who  attended  him  in  his 
laft  moments.  .Raccolta,  Tom.  II.  p.  384. 

NOTE    XX.     Verse  295. 

IToung  Zampieri  owd  his  nobler  name  .~\  Domenico  Zampiefi,  born  at 
Bologna  1 518,  died  at  Naples,  not  without  fufpicion  of  poifon,  1640. 
— He  entered  early  in  life  into  .the  fchoolof  the  Caracci,  and  was 
there  honoured  with  the  affectionate  appellation  of  Domenichino, 
from  his  extreme  youth. — Plis  Communion  of  St.  Jerome  was  com- 
pared by  the  judicious  Pouffin  to  the  Transfiguration  of  Raphael: 
yet  Du  Frefnoy  has  pari:  a  fevere  cenfure  on  Domenichino,  and  affirms 
that  he  has  lefs  noblenefs  in  his  works  than  any  other  artift  who  ftudied 
in  the  fchool  of  the  Caracci.  So  contradictory  are  the  opinions  of 
•the  two  mofl  enlightened  judges  in  this  delicate  art  ! 

NOTE    XXI.      Verse  297. 

The  learned  Lanfranc  in  their  fchool  arofe!\  Giovanni  Lanfranco,  bom 
at  Parma  1581,  was  knighted  by  Pope  Urban  the  VHIth,  and  died 
at  Rome  1647. 

NOTE    XXII.      Verse  299. 

The  tender  Guido  caught  his  graceful  air. ~\    Guido  Reni  was  bcrn  rfi 
Bologna  1595:  exquifite  in  grace,  though  deficient  in  expreffion,  he 
was  held  during  his  life  in  the  higheft  eilimation.    A  fatal  paffion 
for  gaming  involved  him  in  continued  fcenes  of  diftrefs.    His  perfonal 
1  beauty 


NOTES. 


73 


beauty  was  fo  great,  that  his  mafler  Lodovico  Caracci  is  faid  to  have 
drawn  his  angels  from  the  head  of  Guido. 

NOTE    XXIII.      Verse  305. 

Titian  s  mute  fcholar,  rival  of  bis  fame.}  Titian  is  faid  to  have  re- 
fided  in  Spain  from  the  year  1548  to  1553,  and  feems  to  have  raifed 
a  ftrong  paflion  for  Art  in  that  country. — His  mod:  eminent  difciple 
was  Juan  Fernandez  Ximenes  de  Navarrete,  who  is  called  by  his 
Spanifh  Biographer,  The  Titian  of  Spain. — Though  born  deaf  and 
dumb,  from  whence  he  derives  his  common  title  el  Mudo>  he  rofe  to 
great  reputation  as  a  Painter ;  and  was  warmly  patronized  by  his  Sove- 
reign, as  appears  from  the  following  incident — In  painting  the  mar- 
tyrdom of  a  Saint,  he  had  introduced  the  figure  of  his  perfonal  enemy, 
who  happened  to  be  the  King's  Secretary,  in  the  character  of  the  Ex- 
ecutioner :  the  Secretary  complained  to  his  matter,  and  petitioned 
that  his  features  might  be  effaced;  but  his  Majefiy  defended  the 
Painter,  and  ordered  the  figure  to  remain. — In  praifing  this  fingular 
genius,  I  have  ventured  to  borrow  fomething  like  a  conceit  from 
the  famous  Spanifh  Poet  Lope  de  Vega,  who  has  celebrated  his  ta- 
lents in  the  following  verfes. 

Del  Mudo  Pifitor  famojijjimo. 

No  quifo  el  cielo  que  hablaffe, 

Porque  con  mi  entendimiento 

DiefTe  mayor  fentimiento 

A  las  cofas  que  pintaffe. 
Y  tanta  vida  les  di 

Con  el  pincel  lingular, 

Que  como  no  pude  hablar, 

Hize  que  hablaffen  por  mi. 

The  Poet  alfo  honoured  this  favourite  Artift,  who  died  in  1572, 
with  an  Epitaph,  which  turns  on  the  fame  idea,  and  which  the  cu- 

L  rious 


74  NOTES. 


rious  reader  may  find  in  the  Work,  from  whence  I  have  taken  this 
ftiort  account  of  him. 

Vidas  de  los  Pittores  Efpanoles  por  Palamino  Velafco,, 
Octavo,  London,  1744. 

NOTE    XXIV.      Verse  310. 

And  thoUy  Velafquez  ,JJjare  the  honour  due.]  Don  Diego  Velafquez 
de  Silva,  the  moft  accomplifhed  ofUhe  Spaniih  Painters,  was  born 
at  Seville,  1594,  and  clos'd  his  honourable  and  fplendid  life  at  Madrid 
in  1660. — His  matter  was  Pacheco,  a  Spaniard,  who  united  the  fitter 
arts  of  Painting  and  Poetry. — Velafquez  was  patronized  by  the  fa- 
mous Olivarez,  and  had  the  honour  of  painting  our  Charles  the  Firft, 
during  his  vifit  at  Madrid  :  perhaps  he  contributed  not  a  little  to  form 
the  tatte  and  paflion  for  art,  by  which  that  Prince  was  fo  eminently 
diftinguifhed.  The  Spanifh  Painter  rofe  to  great  honours  in  his  own 
country,  and  had,  like  Rubens,  the  lingular  fortune  to  unite  the 
character  of  an  Ambaffador  with  that  of  an  Artift,  being  fent  on  an 
extraordinary  commifiion,  in  1648,  to  Pope  Innocent  X. 

One  of  his  moft  ftriki.ng  historical  pictures,  was  the  expulfion  of 
the  Moors  from  Spain  ;  a  noble,  national  fubject,  which  he  painted 
for  Philip  the  Third,  in  competition  with  three  Artifts  of  reputation, 
and  obtained  the  preference 

But  he  is  particularly  celebrated  for  the  fpirit  and  energy  of  his  Por- 
traits ;  concerning  which  there  are  two  fingular  anecdotes  related  by 
his  Spanifh  Biographer ;  and  the  following  may  poflibly  amufe  the 
reader. 

In  1639,  he  executed  a  portrait  of  Don  Adrian  Pulido  Pareja,  Com- 
mander in  chief  of  an  armament  appointed  to  New  Spain  ;  and  pleafed 
himfelf  fo  well  in  the  execution,  that  he  affixed  his  name  to  the  picture  $ 
a  circumftance  not  ufual  with  him.  He  had  painted  with  pencils  of 
uncommon  length,  for  the  fake  of  working  at  a  greaterdiftance,and  with 
peculiar  force ;  fo  that  the  picture  (fays  my  Spaniih  author)  when  near, 
is  not  to  be  diftinguifhed,  and  at  a  diftance  is  a  miracle.  As  Velafquez, 
1  after 


NOTES. 


75 


after  this  Portrait  was  finimed,  was  at  work  in  the  palace,  the  King, 
as  ufual,  went  privately  to  his  apartment  to  fee  him  paint ;  when 
obferving  the  figure  of  Pareja,  and  taking  it  for  the  real  perfon,  he 
exclaimed  with  furprize,  M  What !  are  you  ftill  here  ?  have  you  not 
"  your  difpatches  ?  and  why  are  you  not  gone  ?"  But  foon  perceiv- 
ing his  miftake,  he  turn'd  to  Velafquez  (who  modeftly  doubted  the 
reality  of  the  deception)  and  faid,  "  I  proteft  to  you  it  deceived  me." 
For  this  ftory,  fuch  as  it  is,  I  am  indebted  to  the  author  whom  I 
have  quoted  in  the  preceding  Note.  The  celebrated  Murillo,  whofe 
pictures  are  much  better  known  in  England  than  thofe  of  his  matter, 
was  a  difciple  of  Velafquez. 

NOTE    XXV.      Verse  316. 

Thy  care  the  /oft,  the  rich  Murillo  formdJ]  Don  Bartolome  Eftevan 
Murillo  was  born  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Seville,  in  16 13.  His 
firft  matter  was  Juan  de  Cattillo ;  but  he  foon  fettled  in  Madrid,  un- 
der the  protection  of  Velafquez,  who  contributed  to  his  improve- 
ment in  the  raoft  generous  manner.  The  Spaniards  boaft  that  Mu- 
rillo became  a  great  Painrer,  without  ever  travelling  out  of  Spain.  He 
is  faid  to  have  refufed  the  offer  of  an  eftablifhment  in  England  from 
Charles  the  Second,  and  to  have  pleaded  his  age  as  an  excufe  for  not 
quitting  his  own  country ;  where  he  died,  and  was  buried  with  great 
marks  of  honour,  in  1685. 

NOTE    XXVI.      Verse  -23. ' 

No  mean  hiftorian  to  record  their  praife.']  George  Vafari,  to  whom 
we  are  indebted  for  a  moft  valuable  hiftory  of  Italian  Painters,  was 
born  at  Arezzo  in  Tufcany,  151 1. — Though  the  fame  of  the  author 
feems  to  have  eclipfed  that  of  the  artitt,  he  rofe  to  conliderable  emi- 
nence as  a  painter,  and  has  left  us  a  particular  and  entertaining  account 
of  himielf  and  his  pictures  in  the  clofe  of  his  great  work — it  is  intro- 

L  2.  duccd 


76 


NOTES. 


duced  with  an  apology,  in  which  he  fpeaks  of  his  own  talents,  and 
extreme  paffion  for  his  art,  in  the  moll  modeft  and  engaging  man- 
ner.— His  generous  defire  of  doing  juftice  to  the  merit  of  others  is 
moft  happily  rewarded  in  the  following  Elogy,  by  the  great  Thu- 

anus  : 

"  Ob  excellentiam  artis,  quam  hiftoria  accurate  &  eleganter  fcripta 
illuftravit,  Georgius  Vafarius  meruit,  ut  inter  viros  ingenio  &  literis 
praeftantes  aecenferetur.  Is  Aretii  in  Etruria  natus,  pictor  &  architec- 
tus  noftra  state  prseftantiffimus,  diu  magno  Etruriae  Duci  Cofmo,  om- 
nium liberalium  artium,  inter  quas  pictura  et  architectura  ut  referren- 
tur  obtinuit,  fautori  eximio  navavit  j  editis  paffim  ingenii  fui  ad  ftupen- 
dum  omnium  fpeclaculum  monumentis,  et  tandem  hoc  anno  clima&e- 
rico  fuo  v  kalend.  Quintil.  vivis  exemptus  eft  ;  exinde  ficutiteftamento 
caverat,  Florentia  ubi  deceflit,  Aretium  in  patriam  tranflatus  ;  quo  loco 
in  principali  fecundum  fedem  Epifcopalem  templo  in  facello  ab  ipfo 
juxta  fumptuofoet  admirando  artificio  exftrudto  fepultus. 

Thuanus  fub  ann.  1574. 

NOTE    XXVIJ.     Verse  342. 

On  her  pitre  Style  fee  mild  Bologna  claim.~\  The  French  author  quoted 
above,  under  the  article  Caracci,  not  only  fpeaks  with  the  greateft 
warmth  of  the  obligation,  which  Painting  owes  to  Lodovico  Caracci, 
for  having  raifed  it  from  that  ftate  of  corruption,  into  which  it  had 
fallen  in  all  the  fchools  of  Italy  ;  but  at  the  fame  time  points  outalfo 
the  various  manierifts  who  had  chiefly  contributed  to  its  debafement. 

The  flyle  introduced  by  Lodovico  is  recommended  by  that  excellent 
judge  Sir  Jofhua  Reynolds  (See  Difcourfe  1769)  as  better  fuited  to 
grave  and  dignified  fubjedts  than  the  richer  brilliancy  of  Titian. 


NOTE    XXVIII.    Verse  345. 
■Titian  s  golden  rays."]  This  expreflion  is  borrowed  from 


the  clofe  of  that  elegant  fentence  of  modern  Latin,  which  the  author 
7  of 


NOTES. 


77 


of  Fitzofborne's  Letters  has  fo  juftly  commended,  "  Aureo  Titiani 
radio,  qui  per  totam  tabulam  glifcens  earn  vere  mam  denunciat."  See 
his  excellent  letter  on  Metaphors,  p.  50. 

NOTE    XXIX.     Verse  353. 

And  Raphael's  Grace  muji  yield  to  Rembrandt 's  Force.]  Rembrant  Van 
Pryn,  born  near  Leyden  1606,  died  at  Amfterdam  1674,  or,  accord- 
ing to  fome  accounts,  1668.  The  numerous  works  of  this  great 
mafter,  both  with  the  engraver  and  pencil,  have  rendered  him  univer- 
fally  known.  His  angular  ftudies,  and  the  pride  which  he  feems  to 
have  taken  in  the  natural  force  of  his  genius,  appear  ftrongly  marked 
in  the  two  following  paffages  of  his  French  Biographer. 

"  Les  murs  de  fon  attelier  couverts  de  vieux  habits,  de  piques,  et 
d'armures  extraordinaires,  etoient  toutes  fes  etudes,  ainfi  qu'une  armoire 
pleine  d'etofFes  anciennes,  &  d'autres  cbofes  pareilles  qu'il  avoit  cou- 
tume  d'appeller  fes  antiques. — Rembrant,  qui  fe  glorifloit  de  n'avoir 
jamais  vu  l'ltalie,  le  dit  un  jour  que  Vandick  l'etoit  venu  viliter  a  Am- 
fterdam :  &  qui  lui  repondit,  "  je  le  vois  bien."  Rembrant  naturelle- 
ment  brufque  reprit :  "  Qui  es  tu  pour  me  parler  de  la  forte  ?" — 
Vandick  repondit;  "  Monfieur,  je  fuis  Vandick,  pour  vous  fervir."— — 
Abrege  de  la  Vie  des  plus  fameux  Peintres,  Tom.  III.  p.  113. 

NOTE    XXX.     Verse  356. 

Tety  Holland,  thy  unwearied  labours  raife.]  There  is  no  article  of 
tafte,  on  which  different  writers  have  run  more  warmly  into  the  op- 
pofite  extremes  of  admiration  and  contempt,  than  in  eftimating  the 
painters  of  Holland.  Thofe  who  are  enchanted  by  the  fublime  con- 
ceptions of  the  Roman  fcbool,  are  too  apt  precipitately  to  condemn 
every  effort  of  the  Dutch  pencil  as  a  contemptible  performance; 
while  thofe,  who  are  fatisfied  with  minute  and  faithful  delineations 

o£ 


78  NOTES. 

of  nature,  find  abfolute  perfection  in  the  very  pictures,  which  are 
treated  by  others  with  the  moft  fupercilious  neglect. — But  found  and 
impartial  judgment  feems  equally  to  difclaim  this  hafty  cenfure,  and 
this  inordinate  praife ; — and  ranking  the  moft  eminent  Dutch  artifts 
below  the  great 'Italian  matters,  yet  allows  them  confiderable  and  pe- 
culiar merit. — A  Trench  author  fays,  I  think  not  unhappily,  of  the 
Dutch  painters,  that  they  are  "  Dans  la  peinture,  ce  que  le  comique 
6c  le  plaifant  font  dans  la  poefie."  In  defign  their  fort  is  certainly 
humour,  and  they  have  frequently  carried  it  to  great  perfection. 

NOTE    XXXI.      Verse  380. 

Proud  of  the  praife  by  Rubens  pencil  won.]    Sir  Peter  Paul  Rubens, 
who  is  happily  ftyled  by  Mr.  Walpole,  "  The  Popular  Painter," 
\v»as  born  at  Cologne  1577,  and  died  of  the  gout  at  Antwerp  1640. 
The  hiftory  of  his  life  furni fries  a  moft  ftriking  incentive  to  the 
young  painter's  ambition. — The  many  accomplifliments  which  he 
pofieft,  the  infinitude  of  works  which  he  produced,  the  reputation 
and  efteem,  the  various  honours  and  ample  fortune  which  he  fo 
juftly  acquired,  prefent  to  the  mind  an  animating  idea  of  what  may 
be  expected  from  a  happy  cultivation  of  talents  in  a  courfe  of  con- 
ftant  and  fpirited  application.     Though   he  vifited  the  'fcourt  of 
Charles  the  Firft  in  the  publick  character  of  an  ambafTador,  it  does  not 
appear  how  long  he  refided  here  j — Mr.  Walpole  conjectures  about 
a  year. — His  pictures  in  trie  ceiling  at  Whitehall  were  not  painted  in 
England  j  which  perhaps  is  the  reafon  he  has  been  at  the  pains  of 
finifhing  them  fo  neatly,  that  they  will  bear  the  neareft  iafpection  ; 
for  he  muft  have  well  known  how  greatly  the  reputation  of  any 
work  depends  on  its  firft  happy  imprefiion  on  the  publick,  and  con- 
cluded his  pictures  would  be  viewed  by  the  king  and  court  inftantly 
on  their  arrival,  and  that  the  critics  would  not  be  candid  enough 
to  delay  their  remarks  on  them  till  they  were  elevated  to  their  in- 
tended 


NOTES. 


tended  height.  This  noble  work  was  falling  into  decay,  from  which 
ftate  it  has  been  lately  refcued  by  that  excellent  artift  Mr.  Cipriani, 
to  whofe  care  it  has  been  moll:  judicioufly  committed  to  be  cleaned 
and  repaired. — Rubens  received  for  this  work  £.3000. 

NOTE    XXXII.      Verse  388. 

Her  foft  Vandyke y  while  graceful portraits  pleafe.]  Sir  Anthony  Van- 
dyke, the  celebrated  fcholar  of  Rubens,  died  of  the  fame  diforder 
which  proved  fatal  to  his  mafter,  and  at  a  much  earlier  period  of  life. 
He  was  born  at  Antwerp  1598,  expired  in  Black  Fryars  1641,  and 
was  buried  in  St.  Paul's,  near  the  tomb  of  John  of  Gaunt.  On  his 
firft  vifit  to  England  he  received  no  endburagemertt  from  the  Court, 
but  Charles,  becoming  foon  afterwards  acquainted  with  his  merit, 
fent  him  an  invitation  to  return.  Vandyke  embraced  the  offer  with 
joy;  and  the  king,  who  mewed  him,  by  frequent  fittings,  the  moft 
flattering  marks  of  efteem,  conferred  on  him  the  honour  of  knight- 
hood in  1632,  rewarding  him  alfo  with  the  grant  of  an  annuity  of 
£.  200  for  life. 

NOTE    XXXIII.      Verse  39r. 

From  Flanders  Jirjl  the  fecret  power  JJje  caught."]  The  Low  Countries, 
though  little  celebrated  for  inventive  genius,  have  given  to  man- 
kind the  two  fignal  difcoveries,  which  have  imparted,  as  it  were,  a 
new  vital  fpirit  both  to  Literature  and  to  Painting.  Thris  honour 
however  has  been  brought  into  queftion — Germany  made  a  ftrong, 
but  unfuccefsful  effort  to  rob  Holland  of  the  glory  which  fhe  derives 
from  the  firir,  invention  of  Printing:  and  Painting  in  oil  (it  has  been 
faid)  was  known  in  Italy  before  the  time  of  John  Van  Eyck,  or  John 
of  Bruges,  as  he  is  commonly  called  ;  to  whom  that  difcovery  is 

generally  afcribed,  about  the  year  1410.  But  Vafari,  in  his  Life 

of  Antonello  da  Memna,  relates  very  particularly  the  circumftances 

of 


80  NO      T      E  S. 

of  Van  Eyck's  invention,  and  the  fubfequent  introduction  of  the  fe- 
cret  into  Italy.  A  moll  learned  antiquarian  and  entertaining  writer 
of  our  own  time  has  fuppofed  that  Van  Eyck  might  pofiibly  "  learn' 
the  fecret  of  ufing  oil  in  England,  and  take  the  honour  of  the  inven- 
tion to  himfelf,  as  we  were  then  a  country  little  known  to  the  world 
of  arts,  nor  at  leifure,  from  the  confufion  of  the  times,  to  claim  the 

difcovery  of  fuch  a  fecret."  Walpole's  Anecdotes  of  Painting, 

Vol.  I.  p.  29.  The  conjecture  is  not  without  fome  little  founda- 
tion ; — but  the  conjectural  claims  which  either  Italy  or  England  can 
produce  to  this  excellent  invention,  are  by  no  means  fufficiently  ftrong 
to  annihilate  the  glory  of  the  happy  and  ingenious  Fleming. 

Since  the  preceding  part^F  this  Note  was  written,  the  reputa- 
tion both  of  Van  Eyck,  and  his  encomiaft  Vafari,  has  been  very  for- 
cibly attacked  in  an  Eflay  on  Oil-painting,  by  Mr.  Rafpe ;  an  EfTay 
which  difcovers  fuch  a  zealous  attachment  to  the  arts,  and  fuch  an 
active  purfuit  of  knowledge,  as  do  great  credit  to  its  ingenious  au- 
thor. But,  though  I  have  perufed  it  with  the  attention  it  deferves, 
it  does  not  lead  me  to  retract  what  I  had  faid becaufe,  after  all  his 
refearches  on  this  fubject,  it  appears  that  although  Oil-painting  was 
not  abfolutely  the  invention  of  Van  Eyck,  it  was  yet  indebted  to  him 
for  thofe  improvements  which  made  it  of  real  value  to  his  profeffion. 
— The  ingenious  Fleming  Teems  therefore  to  be  ftill  entitled  to  thofe 
honours  that  have  been  lavifhed  on  his  name,  as  improvement  in  fuch 
cafes  is  often  more  ufeful  and  more  meritorious  than  invention  itfelf, 
which  is  frequently  the  effect  of  chance,  while  the  former  arifes  from 
■  well-directed  ftudy. 

NOTE    XXXIV.     Verse  395. 

Where  fumptuous  Leo  courted  every  Mufe."\    The  name  of  Medic  is  is, 
familiar  to  every  lover  of  the  fine  arts.    John  de  Medicis,  the  Cardi- 
nal, was  raifed  to  the  papal  See  151  3.    He  continued  that  liberal  pa- 
tronage 


NOTES 


tronage  and  encouragement  to  learning,  which  had  before  diftin- 
guimed'his  illuftrious  family.  He  was  profufe  and  magnificent.  The 
various,  and  celebrated  productions  of  tarte  and  genius  under  his  pon- 
tificate, clearly  mark  the  age  of  Leo  the  Xth  as  one  of  the  great  aeras 
of  literature. 

NOTE    XXXV.     Verse  405. 

Untrodden  paths  of  Art  Salvator  tried.]    Salvator  Rofa  was  born  at 
a  village  near  Naples,  in  161 5.    After  a  youth  of  poverty  and  adven- 
ture, he  raifed  himfelf  by  his  various  and  uncommon  talents  into 
lucrative  reputation.    Having  pafied  nine  years  at  Florence,  in  consi- 
derable employment,  he  fettled  in  Rome,  and  died  there  at  the  age 
of  58,  in  1673. — He  was  one  of  the  few  characters  who  have  polfefied 
a  large  portion  of  pleafant  vivacity  and  fatirical  humour,  with  a  fub- 
lime  imagination.    His  talents  as  a  painter  are  univerfally  celebrated ; 
but  his  focial  virtues,  though  perhaps  not  inferior,  are  far  from  being 
fo  generally  known.  In  the  "  Raccolta  di  Lettere  fulla  Pittura"  there 
are  many  of  his  letters  to  his  intimate  friend  Ricciardi,  an  Italian 
poet,  and  profeffor  of  moral  philofophy  at  Pifa,  which  perfectly  dis- 
play the  warmth  of  his  friendmip,  and  the  generofity  of  his  heart. — 
They  contain  alfo  fome  amufing  anecdotes  relating  to  his  profeflion, 
and  the  great  delight  which  he  took  in  difcovering  hiftorical  fubjects 
of  a  peculiar  caft,  untouched  by  other  painters,  and  appearing  to  an 
ignorant  eye  almoft  beyond  the  limits  of  his  art.    Fie  feems  to  def- 
cribe  himfelf  with  juftice,  as  well  as  energy,  in  the  following  words 
of  a  letter  to  Ricciardi  "  tutto  bile,  tutto  fpirito,  tutto  fuoco." — 
Though  he  mud  have  been  wonderfully  pleafant  as  a  companion,  and 
valuable  as  a  friend,  yet  he  laments  that  his  fatires  had  made  him 
many  enemies,  and  heartily  wimes  he  had  never  produced  them  :  In 
that  which  relates  to  painting,  he  expofes  indeed  the  vices  of  his 
brethren  with  great  freedom  and  feverity. — It  is  remarkable  that  his 

M  poetry 


82 


NOTES. 


poetry  abounds  more  with  learned  allufions  than  with  high  flights  of 
imagination  ;  yet  in  the  fatire  1  have  mentioned,  there  is  much  whim- 
fical  fancy.  An  ape  is  introduced  applying  to  a  painter,  and  begging 
to  learn  his  profeffion,  as  Nature  he  lays  has  given  him  a  genius  for 
the  mimetic  arts. — The  painter  complies — but  his  difciple,  after  an 
apprentice fhip  of  ten  years,  bids  his  matter  adieu,  with  many  humo- 
rous execrations  againft  the  art  of  Painting, — Other  parts  of  the  poem 
contain  many  fenlible  and  ferious  remarks  on  the  abufes  of  the  pen- 
cil ;  and  as  the  author  has  given  us  a  portrait  of  himfelf  in  his  poe- 
tical character,  I  mail  prefent  it  to  the  reader  as  a  fpecimen  of  his 
flyle. 

La  ftate  all  ombra,  e  il  pigro  verno  al  foco 

Tra  modefti  defii  1'  anno  mi  vede 

Pinger  per  gloria,  e  poetar  per  gioco. 
Delle  fatiche  mie  fcopo,  e  mercede 

Ex  fodisfare  al  genio,  al  giufto,  al  vero  i 

Chi  fi  fente  fcottar,  ritiri  '1  piede, 

Dica  pur  quanto  sa  rancor  fevero : 

Contro  le  fue  faette  ho  doppio  uflbergo  i 
Non  conofco  intereffe,  e  fon  fincero  : 
Non  ha  l'invidia  nel  mio  petto  albergo : 
Solo  zelo  lo  flil  m'adatta  in  mano, 
E  per  util  commune  i  fogli  vergo. 

Satire  di  Salvator  Rofa,  pag.  6&, 
Edit.  Amfterdam,  171 9. 

NOTE    XXXVI.     Verse  427. 

The  fage  PouJJin,  with  pur  eft  fancy  fraught.}  Nicolas  Pouffin  was 
born  at  Andely  in  Normandy  1594  :  one  of  his  firft  patrons  was  the 

whimfical. 


NOTES. 


83 


whimfical  Italian  poet  Marino,  who  being  ftruck  with  fome  frefco 
works  of  the  young  painter  at  Paris,  employed  him  in  fome  defigns 
from  his  own  poem  l'Adone,  and  enabled  him  to  undertake  an  expe- 
dition to  Rome.  He  was  recalled  from  thence  by  Cardinal  Richelieu 
in  1640,  but  upon  the  death  of  Richelieu  and  the  king  he  returned  to 
Rome,  where  he  ended  a  life  of  primitive  fimplicity  and  patient  ap- 
plication in  1665. 

NOTE    XXXVII.      Verse  435. 

'Then  rofe  Le  Brun,  his  Jcholar,  and  his  friend,]  Charles  Le  Brun, 
univerfally  known  by  his  Battles  of  Alexander,  and  his  treatife  on 
the  paffions,  was  born  in  Paris  1619  :  having  prefided  over  the  French 
Academy,  with  great  reputation,  more  than  forty  years,  he  died  in 
1690,  partly,  as  the  author  of  the  Abrege  allures  us,  from  the  chagrin 
which  he  received  from  a  cabal  raifed  againft  him  in  favour  of  his 
rival  Mignard  :  but  neither  his  own  works,  nor  the  partial  favour  of 
his  patron  Louvois,  nor  the  friendfhip  of  Moliere,  who  has  written  a 
long  poem  in  his  praife,  have  been  able  to  raife  Mignard  to  the  level 
of  Le  Brun. 

NOTE    XXXVIII.      Verse  441. 

Thy  dawn,  Le  Sueur,  announcd  a  happier  tafte.~\  Euftache  Le  Sueur 
(who,  without  the  advantage  of  ftudying  in  Italy,  approached  nearer 
than  any  of  his  countrymen  to  the  manner  of  Raphael)  was  a  native  of 
Paris.  Le  Brun,  who  came  to  vitit  him  in  his  laft  moments,  is  n  ported 
to  have  faid,  on  quitting  his  chamber,  "  Que  la  mort  alloit  lui  tirer 
une  groffe  epine  du  pied."  If  he  was  capable  of  uttering  fuch  a  fenti- 
ment,  at  fuch  a  time,  he  thoroughly  deferved  the  fate  which  is 
mentioned  in  the  preceding  Note. 


NOTE 


84 


NOTES. 


NOTE    XXXIX.     Verse  447. 

'Though  Frefnoy  teaches,  in  Horatian  Jong.]  Charles  Alfonfe  du 
Frefnoy,  author  of  the  celebrated  Latin  poem  de  Arte  graphica,  very 
haftily  tranflated  into  Englifli  profe  by  Dryden,  was  himfelf  a  painter 
of  fome  eminence,  and  the  intimate  friend  of  Mignard.  He  died  in 
a  village  near  Paris,  at  the  age  of  forty-four,  in  1665. 


NOTES 


NOTES 

TO  THE 

SECOND  EPISTLE. 


NOTE    XL.     Verse  15. 

t^HO  UGH  foreign  <TheoriJlsi  with  Syjiem  blind."]  The  vain  and  frivo- 
lous fpeculations  of  fome  eminent  French  authors,  concerning 
our  national  want  of  genius  for  the  fine  arts,  are  refuted  with  great 
fpirit  in  an  ingenious  eifay  by  Mr.  Barry,  entitled,  "  An  Enquiry 
into  the  real  and  imaginary  Obstructions  to  the  Acquiiition  of  the  Arts 
in  England."  As  this  work  highly  diftinguifhes  the  elegance  of  his 
pen,  his  Venus  rifing  from  the  fea  does  equal  honour  to  his  pencil. 

NOTE    XLI.      Verse  33. 

Fierce  Harry  reign  J,  who,  foon  with  pleafure  cloy  d.]  In  this  fliort 
account  of  the  influence  which  the  different  characters  of  our  Sove- 
reigns have  had  on  the  progrefs  of  national  Art,  the  Author  is  indebt- 
ed principally  to  Mr.  Walpole's  Anecdotes  of  Painting. 

NOTE    XLII.     Verse  45. 

Untaught  the  ?noral  force  of  Art  to  fee/.]  An  accompli ihed  Critic 
of  our  own  time  has  touched  on  the  moral  Efficacy  of  Piflure,  with  his 
ufual  elegance  and  erudition.    After  having  illuurated  the  fubject 

from 


86 


NOTES. 


from  the  writings  of  Ariftotle  and  Xenophon,  he  concludes  his  re- 
marks with  the  following  reflection  : — "  Yet,  confidering  its  vaft: 
power  in  morals,  one  cannot  enough  lament  the  ill  deftiny  of  this 
divine  art,  which,  from  the  chafte  handmaid  of  Virtue,  hath  been 
debauched,  in  violence  of  her  nature,  to  a  fhamelefs  proftitute  of 
Vice,  and  procurefs  of  Pleafure." — Hurd's  Note  on  the  following 
line  of  Horace  : 

"  Sufpendit  picla  vultum  mentemque  tabella" 

To  this  let  me  add  one  obfervation  for  the  honour  of  our  Englifh 
artifts  ! — The  proftitution  of  the  pencil,  fo  juftly  lamented  by  this 
amiable  writer,  is  perhaps  lefs  frequent  in  this  kingdom,  than  in  any 
country  whatever,  in  which  Painting  has  been  known  to  rife  to  aa 
equal  degree  of  perfection. 

NOTE    XLIII.     Verse  93. 

Tet  to  thy  Palace  Kneller  s  /kill fupplied.~\  Sir  Godfrey  Kneller,  born 
at  Lubec  1646,  fettled  in  England  1674,  was  knighted  by  King  Wil- 
liam, created  a  Baronet  by  George  the  Firft,  and  died  1723. — No  Pain- 
ter was  ever  more  flattered  by  the  Mufes  ;  who  gave  him  credit  for 
talents  which  he  never  difplayed.  Dryden  fays,  in  his  enchanting 
Epiftle  to  Kneller : 

Thy  genius,  bounded  by  the  times,  like  mine, 
Drudges  on  petty  draughts,  nor  dares  defign 
A  more  exalted  work,  and  more  divine. 

But  the  drudgery  of  the  Poet  arofe  from  the  mod  cruel  neceffity  $ 
that  of  the  Painter,  from  avarice,  the  bane  of  excellence  in  every 
profemon  ! — If  Sir  Godfrey  had  any  talents  for  hiftory,  which  is  fure- 
ly  very  doubtful,  we  have,  as  Mr.  Walpole  well  obferves,  no  reafon  to 
regret  that  he  was  confined  to  portraits,  as  his  pencil  has  faithfully 
tranfmitted  to  us  "  fo  many  ornaments  of  an  illuflrious  age" 

Though 


NOTES.  87 


Though  I  have  partly  fubfcribed  to  the  general  idea,  that  William, 
in  whofe  reign  this  Painter  principally  flourished,  "  contributed 
nothing  to  the  advancement  of  arts,"  yet  I  muft  obferve,  that  his 
employing  Kneller  to  paint  the  Beauties  at  Hampton  Court,  his 
rewarding  him  with  knighthood,  and  the  additional  prefent  of  a  gold 
medal  and  chain,  weighing  £.  300,  may  juftify  thofe  lines  of 
Pope,  which  defer ibe  "  The  Hero,  William,"  as  an  encourager  of 
Painting. 

NOTE    XLIV.    Verse  97. 

While  partial  Tajle  from  modejl  Riley  turn V.]  John  Riley  was  born 
in  London  1646  :  Mr.  Walpole  relates  an  anecdote  of  his  being  much 
mortified  by  Charles  the  Second ;  who,  looking  at  his  own  picture, 
exclaim'd,  "  Is  this  like  me  ?  then,  Ods-fifh,  I  am  an  ugly  fellow."— 
The  fame  author  fays  happily  of  this  artift,  "  With  a  quarter  of  Sir 
Godfrey's  vanity,  he  might  have  perfuaded  the  world  he  was  as  great 
a  matter."  Notwithstanding  his  extreme  modefty,  he  had  the  good 
fortune  to  be  appointed  Principal  Painter,  foon  after  the  Revolution, 
but  died  an  early  martyr  to  the  gout  1691. 

NOTE    XLV.     Verse  101. 

And  Thornhill's  blaze  of  Allegory  gilt.]  Sir  James  Thornhill,  born 
in  Dorfetfhire  1676,  was  nephew  to  the  celebrated  Sydenham,  and 
educated  by  the  liberality  of  that  great  phylician.  He  afterwards  ac- 
quired a  very  ample  fortune  by  his  own  profeflion  ;  was  in  parliament 
for  Weymouth,  knighted  by  George  the  Second,  and  died  1732. — 
His  talents  as  a  Painter  are  univerfally  known,  from  his  principal 
works  at  Greenwich,  St.  Paul's,  &c. 

NOTE    XLVI.     Verse  hi. 

The  youthful  Noble,  on  a  princely  plan.]  About  twenty  years  ago,, 
the  prefent  Duke  of  Richmond  opened,  in  his  houfe  at  Whitehall, 

a  gallery 


88  NOTES. 

a  gallery  for  artifts,  completely  filled  with  a  fmall  but  well-chcfen 
collection  of  cads  from  the  antique,  and  engaged  two  eminent  artifta 
to  fuperintend  and  direct  the  ftudents. — This  noble  encouragement  of 
art,  though  fuperfeded  by  a  royal  eftablifhment,  is  Mill  entitled  to  re- 
membrance and  honour  :  it  not  only  ferved  as  a  prelude  to  more  ex- 
tenfive  inftitutions,  but  contributed  much  towards  forming  fome  ca- 
pital artifts  of  the  prefent  time.  The  name  of  Mortimer  is  alone 
fufficient  to  reflect  a  confiderable  luftre  on  this  early  fchool. 

NOTE    XLVir,      Verse  134. 

Teach  but  thy  tranjient  tints  no  more  to  Jfy.]  Although  the  fuperior 
excellencies  of  this  admirable  artift  make  us  peculiarly  regret  the 
want  of  durability  in  his  exquifite  productions ;  yet  he  is  far  from 
being  the  only  artift,  whofe  pictures  foon  difcover  an  appearance  of 
precipitate  decay.  Fugitive  colouring  feems  indeed  to  be  the  chief 
defect  among  our  prefent  painters  in  oil ;  and  it  muft  be  the  mod 
ardent  wifh  of  every  lover  of  art,  that  fo  great  an  evil  may  be  effec- 
tually remedied.  As  the  Royal  Academy  is  a  fociety  of  enlightened 
artifts,  eftablimed  for  the  improvement  of  every  branch  of  Painting, 
it  may  be  hoped  that  they  will  pay  attention  to  this  mechanical 
point,  as  well  as-  to  the  nobler  acquirements  of  art,  and  employ  fome 
perfon,  who  has  patience  and  abilities  for  fuch  an  office,  to  difcover, 
by  a  courfe  of  experiments,  to  what  caufe  this  important  evil  is  ow- 
ing. If  it  be  found  to  arife  from  the  adulteration  of  colours,  oils, 
and  varnifhes,  might  it  not  be  eligible  for  the  Academy  to  follow  the 
example  of  another  profeffion,  who,  where  health  and  life  are  con- 
cerned, obviate  the  difficulty  of  getting  their  articles  genuine  from 
the  individual  trader,  by  opening  a  (hop  at  the  expence  of  the  Socie- 
ty, to  prepare  and  fell  the  various  ingredients,  free  from  thofe  adul- 
terations which  private  intereft  might  otherwife  produce  ? 

But  there  may  be  no  juft  ground  of  complaint  againft  the  integrity 
of  the  colourman,  and  this  failure  may  perhaps  arife  from  the  artift's 
1  mixing 


NOTES,  89 

mixing  his  colours,  and  their  vehicles  in  improper  proportions  to 
each  other ;  that  is,  inftead  of  painting  with  oil  properly  thickened 
with  colour,  uung  oil  only  fully  fb.ined  with  it,  to  which  a  proper 
confiftence  (or  body  as  the  painters  call  it)  is  given  by  ftrong  gum 
varnifh.es  ;  in  fhort,  uring  more  vehicle  than  colour ;  by  which,  al- 
though moft  brilliant  and  tranfparent  effects  may  be  produced,  yet 
the  particles  of  colour  are  too  much  attenuated,  and  divided  from 
each  other,  and  confequently  lefs  able  to  withftand  the  deftrudtive 
action  of  light.    If  the  deficiency  complained  of  originates  from  this 
fource,  the  Academy,  by  a  careful  courfe  of  experiments,  may  be  able 
clearly  to  afcertain  what  preparations  of  the  more  delicate  colours 
are  moft  durable ;  what  oils  and  varnifhes  will  beft  preferve  the  ori- 
ginal brilliancy  of  the  paint;  what  are  the  beft  proportions  for  this 
purpofe  in  which  they  can  be  ufed  ;  and  how  far  glazing  (that  al- 
moft  irrefiftible  temptation  to  oil-painters)  may  or  may  not  be  de- 
pended on.    All  thefe  points  are  at  prefent  fo  far  from  being  known 
with  certainty,  that  perhaps  there  are  not  two  Painters,  who  think 
perfectly  alike  on  any  one  of  them.    The  author  hopes,  that  the 
gentlemen  of  the  pencil  will  pardon  his  prefuming  to  offer  a  hint  on 
this  delicate  fubjecl,  with  which  he  does  not  pretend  to  be  intimately 
acquainted.    The  ideas,  which  he  has  thus  ventured  to  addrefs  to 
them,  arife  only  from  the  moft  ardent  wifh,  that  future  ages  may 
have  a  juft  and  adequate  fenfe  of  the  flourifliing  ftate  of  Painting  in 
England  in  the  reign  of  George  the  Third,  and  that  our  prefent  ex- 
cellent artifts  may  not  be  reduced  to  depend  on  the  uncertain  hand  of 
the  engraver  for  the  efteem  of  pofterity. 

A  very  liberal  Critic  *,  in  his  flattering  remarks  on  the  Poem, 
feems,  in  fpeaking  of  this  Note,  to  miftake  a  little  the  meaning  of  its 
author,  who  alluded  only  to  that  defect  in  colouring,  where  the  finer 
tints  are  fo  managed,  for  the  fake  of  an  immediate  and  fhort-li/d 
brilliancy,  that  they  fink  very  foon  into  no  colour  at  all.    He  did  not 


*  Vide  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  for  November  1778,  page  526. 

N  mean 


9o 


NOTES. 


mean  to  touch  on  thofe  changes  in  Painting,  where  the  colours  all 
grow  darker,  the  lights  become  brown,  and  the  fhadows  one  mafs  of 
black.  This  is  likewife  a  great  evil,  and  calls  aloud  for  redrefs. 
Perhaps  the  Critic  above  mentioned  has  pointed  out  the  true  caufe  of 
this  defect,  viz.  the  indifcriminate  blending  of  the  colours,  and  the 
not  ufing  pure,  fimple,  uncompounded  tints. 

NOTE    XLVIII.     Verse  138. 

The  leading  Principles  cf  liberal  Art.~\  I  embrace  with  pleafure  the 
opportunity  of  paying  this  tribute  to  the  great  artift  here  mentioned, 
who  is  not  only  at  the  head  of  his  own  profeffion,  but  may  juftly  be 
ranked  among  the  firft  writers  of  the  age.  His  difcourfes,  not  merely 
calculated  for  the  improvement  of  the  young  artifts  to  whom  they  are 
addrefTed,  contain  all  the  principles  of  true  and  univerfal  tafte,  em- 
bellifhed  with  great  brilliancy  of  imagination,  and  with  equal  force 
©f  expreffion. 

NOTE    XLIX.      Verse  151. 

Thy  Ugolino,  &c]  As  the  fubject  of  this  admirable  picture  is  taken 
from  a  poet  fo  little  known  to  the  Englifh  reader  as  Dante,  it  may 
not  perhaps  be  impertinent  to  fay,  that  in  Richardfon's  Difcourfe 
on  the  Science  of  a  ConnoifTeur,  there  is  a  tranflation  of  the  ftory  in 
Englifh  blank  verfe.  A  young  and  noble  author,  now  living,  has 
obliged  the  world  with  a  tranflation  of  it  in  rhyme. — As  to  the  pic- 
ture, no  artift  could  exprefs  more  happily  the  wild  and  fublime  fpirit  of 
the  poet  from  whom  he  drew.  We  may  juftly  apply  to  him  the  com- 
pliment which  a  lively  Italian  addrefTed  to  a  great  man  of  his  own 
country,  but  of  far  inferior  expreflion. 

"  Fabro  gentil,  ben  fai, 
Ch'  ancor  tragico  cafo  e'  caro  Oggetto, 
E  che  fpeffo  1'  Horror  va  col  Diletto." 

Marino. 

NOTE 


NOTES.  91 

NOTE    L.     Verse  165. 

Now  Art  exults,  with  annual  triumphs  gay!\  While  we  are  de- 
lighted with  the  increafing  fplendor  of  thefe  annual  entertainments, 
it  is  but  juft  to  remember,  that  we  are  indebted  to  the  Society  of  Arts 
and  Sciences  for  our  firft  public  exhibition  of  Paintings.  The  dif- 
ferent focieties  of  artifts  foon  followed  fo  excellent  an  example  ;  and 
our  rapid  and  various  improvements  in  this  lovely  art  reflect  the 
higheft  honour  on  this  happy  inftitution.  Our  exhibitions  at  once  af- 
ford both  the  beft  nurfery  for  the  protection  of  infant  genius,  and 
the  nobleft  feld  for  the  difplay  of  accompliihed  merit  :  nor  do  they 
only  rdminifter  to  the  benefit  of  the  artift,  and  the  pleafure  of  the 
publick  :  they  have  Mill  a  more  exalted  tendency ;  and  when  national 
fubjects  are  painted  with  dignity  and  force,  our  exhibitions  may  jultly 
be  regarded  as  fchools  of  public  virtue.  Perhaps  the  young  foldier 
can  never  be  more  warmly  animated  to  the  fervice  of  his  country, 
than  by  gating,  with  the  delighted  public,  on  a  fublime  picture  of 
the  expiring  hero,  who  died  with  glory  in  her  defence.  But,  not  to 
dwell  on  their  power  of  infpiring  martial  enthuliafm,  our  exhibitions 
may  be  faid  to  have  a  happy  influence  on  the  manners  and  morals  of 
thole,  who  fill  the  different  departments  of  more  tranquil  life.  In 
fupport  of  this  fentiment  I  beg  leave  to  tranferibe  the  following  judi- 
cious remark  from  an  author,  who  has  lately  obliged  the  public  with 
two  little  volumes  of  elegant  and  fpirited  EfTays.  "  They,  whofe 
natural  feelings  have  been  properly  improved  by  culture,  nor  have 
yet  become  callous  by  attrition  with  the  world,  know  from  experi- 
ence, how  the  heart  is  mollified,  the  manners  polifhed,  and  the  tem- 
per fweetened,  by  a  well-directed  ftudy  of  the  arts  of  imitation. 
The  fame  fenfibility  of  artificial  excellence,  extends  itfelf  to  the  per- 
ception of  natural  and  moral  beauty ;  and  the  fludent  returns  from 
the  artifVs  gallery  to  his  ftation  in  fociety,  with  a  bread  more  dif- 
pofed  to  feel  and  to  reverberate  the  endearments  of  focial  life,  and  of 

reciprocal  benevolence."  Knox's  EfTays,  moral  and  literary,  1778, 

p.  264,  on  Sculpture. 

N  2  NOTE 


92 


NOTES 


NOTE    LT.      Verse  255. 

Thy  Talents,  Hogarth  !  &c]  William  Hogarth  was  born  in  London, 
1698,  and  put  apprentice  to  an  engraver  of  the  moft  ordinary  clafs  j 
but  his  comic  talents,  which  are  faid  to  have  appeared  firft  in  the 
prints  to  Hudibras,  foon  raifed  him  to  fame  and  fortune. — He  married 
a  daughter  of  Sir  James  Thornhill,  and  died  1764. — The  peculiar 
merits  of  his  pencil  are  unqueffcionable.  His  Analyfis  of  Beauty  has 
been  found  more  open  to  difpute ;  but  however  the  greater  adepts  in 
the  fcience  may  differ  on  its  principles,  it  may  certainly  be  called  an 
honourable  "monument  of  his  genius  and  application. 

N  O  T  E    LII.    Verse  370. 

Whofe  needy  Titian  calls  for  ill-paid  gold.]  Richardfon  has  fallen 
into  a  miftake  concerning  the  famous  Danae,  and  other  pictures  of 
Titian,  which  he  fays  (in  quoting  a  letter  of  Titian's  without  con- 
fidering  its  addrefs)  were  painted  for  Henry  the  VHIth  of  England, 
a  tyrant  indeed,  voluptuous,  and  cruel,  but  ftill  lefs  deteftable  than 
the  fullen  and  unnatural  Philip  the  lid  of  Spain,  who  filled  up  the 
meafure  of  his  fuperior  guilt  by  the  horrid  affaffmation  of  his  fon. 
Philip,  on  his  marriage  with  Mary,  affumed  the  title  of  King  of  Eng- 
land )  and  to  him  Titian  addreffed  the  letter,  which  fpeaks  of  the  pic- 
tures in  queftion  :  the  painter  frequently  mentions  his  attachment  to 
his  unworthy  patron. 

His  follicitude  to  enfure  his  protection  and  favour  is  ftrongly  mark- 
ed in  the  following  fhort  paffage  of  a  letter  which  he  addreffed  to  one 
of  Philip's  attendants.  "  Mando  ora  la  poena  di  Venere  e  Adone, 
nella  quale  V.  S.  vedra,  quantd  fpirito  e  amore  fo  mettere  nell'  opere 
di  fua  Maefta."  Raccolta,  torn.  ii.  p.  21. 

How  poorly  this  great  artift  was  rewarded  for  his  ill-directed  la- 
bour, appears  very  forcibly  in  a  long  letter  of  complaint,  which  he 
had  fpirit  enough  to  addrefs  to  the  king  on  the  many  hardships  he 
fuffered  in  being  unable  to  obtain  the  payment  of  the  penfion  which 

9  had 


NOTES. 


93 


had  been  granted  to  him  by  the  emperor  Charles  the  Vth.  .Rac- 

colta,  torn.  ii.  p.  379. 

NOTE    LUl.      Verse  436. 

Bid  Englijh  pencils  honour  Englijh  worth,]  The  great  encouragement 
given  our  painters  to  felect  fubjects  from  Englifh  hiftory,  has  of  late 
years  been  very  obfervable.  Many  individuals  of  rank  and  fortune 
have  promoted  this  laudable  plan  with  fpirit  and  effect;  and  the  So- 
ciety of  Arts  and  Sciences  have  confined  their  premiums  to  fubjects 
taken  from  the  Britifh  Annals. 

NOTE    LIV.      Verse  441. 

Her  wounded  Sidney,  Bayard's  perfect  peer.]  The  gallant,  the 
amiable  and  accomplished  Sir  Philip  Sidney  may  be  juftly  placed  on  a 
level  with  the  noble  Bayard,  "  Le  Chevalier  fans  peur  &  fans  rc- 
proche."  whofe  glory  has  of  late  received  new  luftre  from  the  pen  of 
Robertfon  and  the  pencil  of  Weft.  The  ftriking  fcene  here  alluded 
to,  which  preceded  the  death  of  Sidney,  has  not  yet,  I  believe,  appeared 
upon  canvafs,  but  is  forcibly  defcribed  by  the  noble  and  enthufiaftic 

friend  of  Sidney,  the  Lord  Brooke.  See  Biograph.  Britan.  Art. 

Sidney. 

The  particulars  alfo  are  minutely  defcribed,  and  with  great  feeling, 
in  a  letter  from  his  uncle  Leicefter  to  Sir  Thomas  Heneage,  quoted 
in  Collins's  Memoirs  of  the  Sidnies.  The  tide  of  national  admiration 
flowed  very  ftrong  in  favour  of  Sidney,  when  Mr.  Walpole,  in  fpeak- 
ing  of  Lord  Brooke,  appeared  to  check  the  current;  but  the  merits 
of  Sidney  are  fufficient  to  bear  down  all  onpofition. — Jnftead  of 
joining  the  elegant  author  I  have  mentioned,  in  confidciing  Sir 
Philip  Sidney  as  "  an  aftoniming  object  of  temporary  admiration,"  I 
am  furprized  that  fo  judicious  an  author  mould  ever  queftion  fo  fair  a 
title  to  univerfal  regard.    The  learning  and  munificence,  the  courage 

and 


94  NOTES. 

and  courtefy  of  Sidney  endeared  him  to  every  rank,  and  he  juftly 
challenges  the  lafting  affection  of  his  country  from  the  clofing  fcene 
of  his  life,  in  which  heroifm  and  humanity  are  fo  beautifully  blended. 
I  never  can  think  this  accomplifhed  character  any  ways  degraded  by  his 
having  written  a  tedious  romance  (in  which  however  there  are  many 
touches  of  exquifite  beauty  and  fpirit)  to  amufe  a  moft  amiable  fitter, 
whom  he  tenderly  loved;  or  by  his  having  threatened  an  unworthy 
fervant  of  his  father's  with  death  in  a  hafty  billet,  merely  to  intimi- 
date and  deter  him  from  the  future  commiflion  of  an  infamous  breach 
of  truft,  in  opening  his  letters. 

NOTE    LV.      Verse  468. 
T^'  heroic  Daughter  of  the  virtuous  More.\    Margaret,  eldeft  daugh- 
ter of  the  celebrated  Sir  Thomas  More.    The  fcene  which  I  have 
propofed  for  the  fubject  of  a  picture,  is  taken  from  the  following  paf- 
fage  in  Ballard  : 

"  After  Sir  Thomas  More  was  beheaded,  me  took  care  for  the 
burial  of  his  body  in  the  chapel  of  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula,  within  the 
precincts  of  the  Tower,  and  afterwards  (he  procured  his  corpfe  to 
be  removed,  and  buried  in  the  chancel  of  the  church  at  Chelfea, 
as  Sir  Thomas  More,  in  his  life-time,  had  appointed.    His  head 
having  remained  about  fourteen    days  upon   London  Bridge,  and 
being  to  be  caft  into  the  Thames  to  make  room  for  others,  me 
bought  it.    For  this  me  was  fummoned  before  the  council,  as  the 
fame  author  relates,  and  behaved  with  the  greateft  firmnefs,  j unify- 
ing her  conduct:  upon  principles  of  humanity  and  filial  piety.  She 
was,  however,  imprifoned,  but  foon  releafed,  and  dying  nine  years 
after  her  father,  at  the  age  of  thirty-fix,  was  buried  at  St.  Dunftan's, 
in  Canterbury.    The  head  of  her  father,  which  fhe  had  preferved 
with  religious  veneration,  in  a  box  of  lead,  Was,  at  her  particular  re- 
queft,  committed  with  her  to  the  grave.    It  was  feen  (landing  on  her 
coffin  in  the  year  171 5,  when  the  vault  of  the  Roper  (her  hufband's) 

family  was  opened."  See  Ballard's  Memoirs  of  learned  Ladies,  p.  36. 

5  The 


NOTES.  95 

The  character  of  this  amiable  woman  is  happily  drawn  both  by  Ad- 
difon  and  Walpole. — She  married,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  William 
Roper,  Efquire,  of  Kent,  to  the  infinite  fatisfaction  of  her  father  j 
for  fhe  feems  to  have  been  the  deareft  object  of  his  parental  affection, 
which  is  very  ftrongly  marked  in  his  letters  addreffed  to  her.  She 
was  indeed  moft  eminently  diftinguifhed  by  her  learning,  in  an  age, 
when  the  graces  of  the  mind  were  regarded  as  an  effential  article  in 
female  education  :  but  the  beauty  and  force  of  her  filial  piety  reflects 
a  ftill  fuperior  luftre  on  this  accomplifhed  woman. — There  is  more 
than  one  paflage  in  her  life,  which  would  furnilh  an  admirable  fub- 
ject  for  the  pencil.  Her  interview  with  her  father,  on  his  return  to 
the  Tower,  is  mentioned  as  fuch  by  Mr.  Walpole. 

NOTE    LVI.     Verse  523. 

But,  oh!  bow  poor  the  projirate  Satan  ties.]  It  is  remarkable,  that 
the  greateft  painters  have  failed  in  this  particular.  Raphael,  Guido, 
and  Weft,  are  all  deficient  in  the  figure  of  Satan.  Richardfon  ob- 
ferves,  in  his  defcription  of  the  pictures  of  Italy, — "  Je  n'ai  jamais 
vu  d'aucun  Maitre  une  reprefentation  du  Diable,  prince  des  Diabless 
qui  me  fitisfit."    Page  500. 

In  recommending  this  fubject  to  the  pencil,  it  may  b#  proper  to  ob- 
ferve,  that  it  is  not  only  extremely  difficult,  but  even  attended  with 
danger,  if  we  credit  the  following  curious  anecdote,  in  a  medical 
writer  of  great  reputation: — Spinello,  fameux  Peintre  Tofcan,  ayant 
peint  la  chute  des  anges  rebelles,  donna  des  traits  fi  terribles  a  Lucifer, 
qu'il  en  fut  lui-meme  faifi  d'horreur,  &  tout  le  refte  de  fa  vie  il  crut 
voir  continuellement  ce  Demon  lui  reprocher  de  l'avoir  reprefente'  fous 
une  figure  fi  hidieufe.  Tiflbt  de  la  Sante  des  Gens  de  Lettres. 

As  this  ftory  is  fo  fingular,  it  may  amufe  fome  readers  to  fee  it  in 
the  words  of  Vafari,  from  whom  Tiffot  feems  to  have  taken  it. — 
The  Italian  Biographer  fays,  in  defcribing  a  picture  by  Spinello  Areti- 

no, 


o  6 


NOTE  S. 


no,  who  flourifhed  in  the  clofe  of  the  14th  century,  Si  vede  un 
Lucifero  gia  mutato  in  beftia  bruttiflima.  E  fi  compiacque  tanto  Spi- 
nello  di  farlo  orribile,  e  contraffatto,  che  fi  dice  (tanto  puo  alcuna 
fiata  rimmaginazione)  che  la  detta  jBgura  da  lui  dipinta  gl'apparue  in 
fogno  domandandolo,  done  egli  l'hauverTe  veduta  fi.  brutta  e  per  che 
t'attole  tale  fcorno  con  i  fuoi  pennelli :  E  che  egli  fvegliatofi  dal  fonno, 
per  la  paura,  non  potendo  gridare,  con  tremito  grandiffimo  ii  fcoffe 
di  maniera  che  la  moglie  deftatafi  lo  foccorfe :  ma  niente  di  manco 
fu  per  cio  a  rifchio,  ftringendogli  il  cuore,  di  morirfi  per  cotale  acci- 
dente,  fubitamente.  Ben  che  ad  ogni  modo  fpiritaticcio,  e  con  occhi 
tondi,  poco  tempo  vivendo  poi  fi  condufle  alia  morte  lafciando  di  fe 

gran  defiderio  a  gli  amici.  Vafari  Vita  di  Spinello  Aretino,  pag. 

218.  Edit,  di  Giunti. 


FINIS. 


Pit?